2026/07/22 by Consuelo Gómez
paper · doi:10.1163/18253911-bja10219
Abstract This article examines how early modern artillery treatises became hybrid spaces of knowledge in which military, artisanal, philosophical, and artistic traditions converged around the uses of gunpowder. It reconstructs the formation of a shared experimental and visual culture shaped by the mobility of gunners, the circulation of technical manuscripts, and the contributions of alchemists, natural philosophers, and court artists. The study highlights the decisive role of military expertise in shaping festive pyrotechnics: many recreational devices emerged directly from techniques, materials, and practices originally developed for warfare, giving early pyrotechnic books a conceptual and technical foundation rooted in martial traditions. Through an analysis of treatises, illustrations, and scenographic devices, the article shows how these military resources were adapted to ceremonial contexts, generating a transnational repertoire that linked warfare, festivity, and artistic display. Approaching these treatises as cultural artefacts reveals how pyrotechnics contributed to redefining the intellectual identity of the artilleryman.