Vuurwerk bij de viering van de Vrede van Utrecht, 1713 1713

This etching depicts the fireworks display celebrating the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and was likely made in the same year, in the Netherlands. It shows an elaborate, temporary structure erected over water, from which fireworks erupt. Celebrations like this were important public displays of power. After years of war, the Treaty of Utrecht was meant to usher in an era of peace and prosperity, and it was in the interest of the Dutch States General to impress this idea upon the populace. The choice of fireworks, a dramatic but ephemeral art form, highlights the tensions between celebrating a monumental event and acknowledging the fleeting nature of peace and power. To fully understand this image, we might research the political climate of the Dutch Republic in the early 18th century, the specific terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, and the iconography used in public celebrations. It is through understanding this historical context that the artwork reveals its complex layers of meaning.