View Down a Dutch Canal c. 1670

Jan van der Heyden captured this "View Down a Dutch Canal" with oil on canvas. Born in 1637, the artist lived during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of immense economic and cultural prosperity for the Netherlands. This painting gives us a glimpse into the spatial order of 17th-century Dutch society. Van der Heyden’s cityscapes were celebrated for their precision and realism, meticulously portraying the architecture and infrastructure of Dutch cities. While seemingly objective, such cityscapes can be seen as ideological. Notice the calm water. The order of the canal becomes a symbol of Dutch prosperity and the carefully constructed urban environment, reflecting a sense of national pride and civic identity. In his paintings, he seems to say, "Here, we have built a wealthy and prosperous society." However, this view also invites us to reflect on what remains unseen - the labor and trade that enabled this prosperity and the complex social hierarchies within the city.