Gezicht op de stad Middelburg en het Havenkanaal 18th century

This is "View of the City of Middelburg and the Port Canal" by Basset, made sometime between 1785 and 1819. During this time the Netherlands was in political turmoil, experiencing French occupation and the fall of the Dutch East India Company. This print offers a seemingly placid view of urban life, yet closer inspection reveals a society undergoing immense transformation. We see figures from various social strata populating the scene: merchants, laborers, and possibly colonizers. The canal itself, a hub of trade and transportation, symbolizes the intersection of local and global economies and the class and racial structures that came with it. Basset does not develop alternative narratives, but upholds traditional representations by showing Middelburg as a prosperous port city. This artwork therefore invites us to reflect on the complex interplay of identity, power, and representation in a rapidly changing world. What do the figures depicted feel about the world changing around them?