View of Menorca and St Philip's Castle

Illuminated chalcographic print of St Philip's Castle on the island of Menorca, which witnessed the unfolding of the wars that took place throughout the 18th century. Conquered by the allied fleet in 1708, during the War of the Spanish Succession, the island remained a possession of the British Crown under the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713. It remained under English rule throughout the 18th century, except between 1756 and 1763 when it was held by the French. In 1802, as a result of the Treaty of Amiens, it was returned to Spanish ownership.

Engraved by Balthasar Frederic Leizelt, it is part of a series of views of European and American cities that were intended to be seen through a viewfinder, giving an impression of greater depth. The use of mirrors in these viewfinders explains why the writing at the top is the wrong way round.