Art Institute of Chicago

Man Lighting a Rocket, also called Peace is Better than a Victory, from Communia Gaudia (The Wide-Spread Rejoicing at the Siege of Namur)

Cornelis Dusart (Dutch, 1660-1704)

Date

1695

Medium

Mezzotint in black on ivory laid paper

Culture

Holland

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Cornelis Dusart made a series of seven prints documenting the jubilation that erupted after King William III of England reclaimed the city of Namur from France on September 2, 1695. The pyrotechnician on the left (1964.46) has a full arsenal of rockets secured to his belt while the woman on the right (1964.47) prepares to launch a firework. At her side are a bottle of alcohol, a pipe, and a drinking horn to fuel her gaiety; the keys symbolize her renewed sense of security. The mezzotint medium is particularly effective in heightening the drama of nighttime scenes, with the dark velvet shadows emphasizing the presence of fiery light.

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