Gezicht op de Korenbeurs te Amsterdam c. 1770 - 1783

Hermanus Petrus Schouten created this print of the Korenbeurs in Amsterdam with etching. The composition is anchored by horizontal lines—the long, low building and the flat plane of the square—giving the scene a sense of stability. This is sharply interrupted by the vertical thrust of the church tower. The linear architecture of the Korenbeurs is softened with organic elements. Notice how the trees bookend the buildings. The artist is drawing attention to how the natural and the human-made intersect and complement each other. The texture of the etching creates subtle tonal variations, inviting us to consider the play of light and shadow across the architectural forms. Consider the historical and intellectual context in which Schouten was working. This view of the Korenbeurs challenges fixed meanings about Dutch commerce, or Dutch life, instead destabilizing categories of nature and progress.