Gezicht op de Korte Vijverberg c. 1700

Jan van Call created this print of the Korte Vijverberg in the Hague with etching around 1700. It shows a street in the Netherlands lined with trees and grand buildings. The Dutch Golden Age was a time of great economic prosperity and cultural achievement. The Netherlands was a major center of trade and commerce, and this wealth was reflected in the art of the period. The buildings depicted are the homes of the wealthy merchants that commissioned much of the art of the time. The print celebrates the achievements of the Dutch Golden Age but this was not the reality for most of the population. Prints such as this one were designed to be collected and displayed and are a symbol of their owner's status. To understand the image more fully, we can look to historical sources such as contemporary accounts and archival documents. These shed light on the social and institutional context in which it was made.