Vuurwerk bij de viering van de Vrede van Rijswijk, 1697 1779 - 1781

Curator: This detailed print, "Vuurwerk bij de viering van de Vrede van Rijswijk, 1697", was created by Jan Fokke between 1779 and 1781 and captures quite an elaborate spectacle. Editor: It has this kind of restrained energy to it, almost as if trying to contain a sense of exuberant celebration within these tightly rendered lines. Curator: Considering the context, that restraint makes a lot of sense. This piece showcases an ephemeral construction made in celebration of peace; one could easily imagine skilled craftspeople constructing elaborate, decorated temporary platforms on the water, designed purely for celebratory events, quickly dismantled when no longer required. Editor: Those symbolic elements carved into the structure jump out at me. We have all these trophies of arms, intertwined flags – obvious visual cues related to peacemaking. There is an effort to immortalize and reinforce what the peace treaty embodies, quite different to how we internalise information today. Curator: And engraving really democratized access to such images, mass-producing emblems of national events for a growing middle class, turning spectacles into commodities. I'm curious how the engraver saw the original structure. What sort of working drawings, or materials, or studio assistance was involved in their process? Editor: The fact that the tower looms so prominently adds another layer, connecting transient jubilation with enduring power, giving fireworks fleeting splendor an official validation. Curator: That position to emphasize that intersection seems right to me. I wonder where they got their supplies – maybe even gunpowder? Editor: Considering it today, there is a fascinating dichotomy to see how celebratory imagery has always held political meaning. It provides perspective on the ways cultural events shape and preserve the meaning we prescribe to objects, then and now. Curator: Right. Studying it allows one to look past nationalistic symbolics to discover details about artisan economies. Thank you.