Het verzamelen van brandhout voor de vreugdevuur van de vrede, 1713 1713

Curator: Here we have “Het verzamelen van brandhout voor de vreugdevuur van de vrede, 1713,” or, in English, “Collecting firewood for the bonfire of peace, 1713” by Abraham Allard. It's a pen and ink drawing, and you can find it at the Rijksmuseum. What’s your initial read? Editor: The first thing that strikes me is how provisional it feels – it is on aged paper, an old book it seems – a simple sketch. The lines are delicate, almost hesitant, but the subject, preparations for a peace bonfire, feels communal, energetic, and celebratory. Curator: The bonfire is so interesting! Think about it, fire is transformative, but here it is employed as a symbol of purification after conflict. Peace as an erasure. The characters and action portrayed— the aged man, the young child gathering wood, and the woman preparing the fire — together embody continuity between the generations through the act of peace building. What meanings would this imagery convey to an 18th-century audience still grappling with the legacy of war? Editor: Allard is an engraver, first and foremost, but here he almost assumes a chronicler’s role. The bonfire itself would have been a public event, rife with socio-political implications – who participated, who didn’t, where was it held, what was burned? These sketches allow us to explore a single vision but invite questioning of that image within the broader theatre of public spectacle. Curator: Allard masterfully incorporates figuration by use of allegorical references which makes it more appealing to look at. Do you think this portrayal effectively communicates the desire for unity and concord? The scene feels less idealized and grand. Editor: I think there’s a certain grounded realism. It is sketchwork, capturing an active scene instead of a static, glorified ideal. This is a down-to-earth celebration of peace being rendered; its imperfections may enhance its relatability, showing a yearning rather than a full achievement of peace. Curator: Looking closer at this, one really comes to appreciate the delicate balance he strikes. This pen sketch really brings the concept of lasting peace down to an intimate, domestic scale. Editor: Indeed, it offers us a fleeting glimpse into a moment poised between conflict and reconciliation, etched in the simplest yet most enduring way through this image.