Figure Studies of Hosemen 1685 - 1690

Jan van der Heyden made this drawing, "Figure Studies of Hosemen," in the Netherlands, sometime in the 17th or early 18th century. We see a collection of figures practicing the coordinated activity of fighting fires with hoses. This image provides a glimpse into the development of civic institutions in the Dutch Golden Age. Van der Heyden was himself deeply involved in innovations in firefighting technology. He patented a water pump and reorganized Amsterdam's fire brigade. In his art, he often depicted urban scenes with precise architectural detail. The drawing presents an interesting intersection of art, technology, and social organization. To fully understand this work, one might explore the history of firefighting technology, Dutch urban planning, and the social role of citizen militias. Art, in this sense, becomes a window into a specific moment in the development of modern social structures.