Gezicht op het West-Indisch Pakhuis te Amsterdam 1663 - 1664

Jacob van Meurs created this print of the West-Indisch Pakhuis, or West India Warehouse, in Amsterdam in the 17th century. It was a time when the Dutch Republic was at the height of its power, fueled by global trade and colonialism. The West India Company controlled trade with the Americas and West Africa, including the horrific trafficking of enslaved people. This image, with its precise detail, presents a vision of orderly commerce and prosperity. Yet, it obscures the brutal realities of exploitation upon which this wealth was built. The warehouse itself becomes a symbol of the complex entanglements of trade, colonialism, and human suffering. Look closely. Consider what is included in the frame and, perhaps more importantly, what is left out. The lives of enslaved Africans and indigenous peoples, the violence of colonial conquest – these are absent from van Meurs' composition. Instead, we are presented with an idealized view of Dutch commercial success. This image invites us to reflect on how historical narratives are constructed and whose stories are told. It encourages us to look beyond the surface, to reckon with the full history of this place and time.