A detailed 1666 etching by Cornelis Brouwer depicting the destruction of West-Terschelling during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

This etching by Cornelis Brouwer documents a specific event during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, known as Holmes's Bonfire. In August 1666, an English fleet under the command of Rear-Admiral Robert Holmes raided the Dutch island of Terschelling. The print depicts the systematic destruction of the village of West-Terschelling, where over one hundred and fifty houses were set ablaze by English forces.

Brouwer employs a stark, monochromatic approach to convey the chaos of the raid. The composition is divided between the calm, dark water in the foreground and the violent, billowing smoke rising from the burning structures. Figures are shown fleeing towards the water, some carrying belongings, while others stand in the shallows. The inclusion of a small boat in the lower left corner provides a sense of scale and movement, suggesting the desperate attempts of the inhabitants to escape the encroaching flames. The church spire, partially obscured by thick clouds of smoke, serves as a central vertical element that anchors the scene.

As a historical record, the work captures the brutality of seventeenth-century naval warfare and its impact on civilian populations. The etching technique allows for fine detail in the rendering of the flames and the textures of the smoke, contrasting with the relatively simplified forms of the buildings. This piece is part of a broader tradition of Dutch printmaking that sought to record contemporary events for a public audience. It provides a direct, unvarnished view of the destruction, focusing on the immediate human experience of the raid rather than the strategic manoeuvres of the naval fleets involved. The print remains a valuable visual source for understanding the maritime conflicts that shaped the seventeenth-century North Sea region.