Material and performative violence in early modern Danish court fireworks.

Casper Thorhauge Briggs-Mønsted

Material and performative violence in early modern Danish court fireworks.

Casper Thorhauge Briggs-Mønsted

The Royal Danish Collection

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This paper examines how adversarial figures were sculpturally represented and violently staged in firework spectacles during the reigns of Frederik 2 and Christian 4. I argue that the violence operated on two levels: the pyrotechnic displays actively destroyed the figures in flames, and the ephemeral materials from which the figures were made limited their existence to a brief moment that anticipated their inevitable obliteration.

Original language	English
Publication date	Nov 2025
Publication status	Unpublished - Nov 2025
Event	Early Modern Workshop - Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus Duration: 26 Nov 2025 → … https://cc.au.dk/center-for-studier-af-det-tidligt-moderne/arrangementer

Workshop

Workshop	Early Modern Workshop
Location	Aarhus Universitet
City	Aarhus
Period	26/11/2025 → …
Internet address	https://cc.au.dk/center-for-studier-af-det-tidligt-moderne/arrangementer

Cite this

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AB - This paper examines how adversarial figures were sculpturally represented and violently staged in firework spectacles during the reigns of Frederik 2 and Christian 4. I argue that the violence operated on two levels: the pyrotechnic displays actively destroyed the figures in flames, and the ephemeral materials from which the figures were made limited their existence to a brief moment that anticipated their inevitable obliteration.

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