Gezicht op de burcht van Leiden 1711

Jacobus Schijnvoet created this print of Leiden Castle in the early 18th century. During this time, the Dutch Republic was a major power and trade center. Schijnvoet’s engraving offers us a window into the spatial politics of the Dutch Golden Age, reflecting social hierarchies and the values of a burgeoning mercantile society. Notice the figures populating the foreground. Their presence prompts us to consider the relationship between the castle, which symbolizes power and history, and the lives of ordinary people. In this context, the castle is transformed from a defensive structure into a backdrop for daily life, suggesting the integration of historical power within the contemporary social fabric. What do you make of the artist's decision to depict an antiquated fortress not as a site of military might, but as an accessible public space? How might this subtle reframing speak to the shifting dynamics of power and identity in the Dutch Republic?