Vuurwerk ter ere van de Vrede van Aken bij het paviljoen op de Hofvijver te Den Haag in 1749 c. 1749

Iven Besoet created this etching in 1749, depicting fireworks celebrating the Peace of Aachen in The Hague. Etching is an intaglio printmaking technique. The artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratches an image into it with a needle. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling these grooves, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The crisp, precise lines capture the fleeting spectacle of fireworks over water. The etching process, while meticulous, allows for a level of detail that mirrors the complexity of the celebratory display. The very act of etching, with its reliance on skilled labor and precise technique, elevates a transient event into a lasting artwork. It’s a reminder that even celebrations are made, constructed through the labor of many hands.