Jacques Rigaud, Engraver. The Siege Of Barcelona, 1713–1714. Two Engravings

Following the death of Charles II, King of Spain, who left no heir, Louis XIV sought to place his son Philip on the throne.  The Habsburgs of Austria opposed his claims, triggering the War of the Spanish Succession, which lasted from 1701 to 1714.
The second siege of Barcelona in 1714 would bring an end to this painful conflict. After more than a year of resistance, the city fell in a flash due to the well-prepared breakthrough led by the Chevalier d’Asfeld.
These two engravings depict the preparations for this attack and its outcome.
Jacques Rigaud (1680–1754) drew and engraved these events for the king.
A native of Provence, born in Puyloubier, he trained in his home region and settled in Paris, where, after some time, he opened a studio and shop on Rue Saint-Jacques, the street of booksellers and print dealers. 
He is famous for his depictions of major castles, as well as for his illustrations of the Plague of Marseille in 1720.
Mounted under glass during the nineteen century and framed with a thin oak molding at the time, they are slightly soiled by age but are full-sheet prints and in good condition.