Fireworks display celebrating the end of the Thirty Years War, Nuremberg, 1650
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 1/16 × 12 3/8 in. (20.5 × 31.4 cm) Plate: 6 1/8 × 11 1/4 in. (15.6 × 28.6 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture|Prints-Fete
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.3682
Tags
Art Historical Context
This etching captures a jubilant fireworks display in Nuremberg on August 8, 1650, marking the anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia, ended the devastating Thirty Years' War in 1648. After three decades of religious and political conflict that ravaged Europe—claiming millions of lives—this grand public spectacle symbolized relief, unity, and renewed in the Holy Roman Empire. Nuremberg, prosperous imperial city, hosted elaborate celebrations with rockets, Catherine wheels, and exploding fireworks illuminating the night sky above throngs of cheering crowds, as depicted in intricate detail. Cre...