A military engagement in the Sint Pietersberg in Maastricht

A scene in the caves of the Sint Pietersberg during the Siege of Maastricht by the French armies of Napoleon in 1796 A scene in the caves of the Sint Pietersberg during the Siege of Maastricht by the French armies of Napoleon in 1796 Signed and dated (lower left) : Dirk Langendijk fecit / 1800. 'Various engagements took place in the caves of the Sint Pietersberg during the French siege of Maastricht in the Dutch province of Limburg in 1794. Sint Pietersburg was of strategic importance because of the fortress that was situated on its northern flank. Marl from the Sint Pietersburg had been mined for centuries, which created a vast network of underground tunnels and caves. The French had obtained a primitive map of the cave system and devised a plan to set off explosives underneath the fortress. The artist may have based this image on observations recorded by himself, or from written or other sources' -- information from Dr. Louis Sloos, and the dealer. Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library Digital object made available by: Brown University Library, John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts, Box A, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, U.S.A., (http://library.brown.edu/)