Beëdiging van de Vrede van Munster, 1648 1754

This etching by Simon Fokke, created in 1754, depicts the signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The artwork portrays a formal gathering of dignitaries, likely representing the Spanish and Dutch delegates, around a table where the treaty is being signed. The artist's use of detail in the clothing and expressions of the figures conveys the solemn nature of the event, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War and signifying a shift in European power dynamics. The etching, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, is a valuable historical document offering a visual glimpse into a pivotal moment in European history.