Vuurwerk in Moskou bij de viering van het einde van de Russisch-Turkse Oorlog, 1775 (Acte I en II)

Emel'ian Alekseevič Fedoseev created this etching entitled 'Fireworks in Moscow during the celebration of the end of the Russian-Turkish War' in 1775. The print commemorates Russia’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, a moment pregnant with implications for Catherine II’s expansionist policies and self-fashioned image as an enlightened leader. Here, Fedoseev creates a spectacle of exploding light in the night sky over Moscow, an allegorical scene featuring Catherine II seated triumphantly in a chariot above the city. But consider, too, the staged nature of the event itself and the labor required to produce such displays. The etching draws attention to the structures and figures orchestrating the fireworks, literally framing the spectacle. In the 18th century, fireworks were often used as political tools to project power. This print not only captures that moment, but prompts us to reflect on how such displays are always carefully constructed, both celebrating and obscuring the complex realities of power, identity, and imperial ambition.