Gezicht op de molen op de Hoogendijk buiten de Oostpoort in Rotterdam 1784

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this print, "View of the mill on the Hoogendijk outside the Oostpoort in Rotterdam," using etching and burin. The image is a window into the 18th century Dutch landscape and the prevailing social structures of the time. The artist’s decision to depict the mill alongside working-class figures gives insight into the economic activities and social hierarchy of Rotterdam. The individuals shown with their dog, and a group of horses, are integral to the city's operation. By presenting the windmill as part of an ecosystem of labor, Bendorp blurs the boundary between the rural and the urban. Consider for a moment how landscape art often served to celebrate progress, but also to render certain types of labor invisible. This etching captures not just the visual characteristics of a specific locale, but the narratives of human experience embedded within it. In essence, this artwork reflects the intricate relationship between place, labor, and identity in 18th century Rotterdam.