Open Havenfront te Amsterdam 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh created this pencil drawing titled 'Open Havenfront te Amsterdam', but the exact date is unknown. The sketch shows a cityscape, seemingly an initial study of the open harbor front in Amsterdam. Its visual codes are reminiscent of the Dutch Golden Age, a time when the Netherlands was at the center of global trade and artistic innovation. This type of subject matter can be linked with the cultural identity and pride in the nation's maritime power and economic prosperity. Vreedenburgh’s work has a connection to institutional histories, considering his depictions of urban landscapes and architecture. Looking at the social conditions of artistic production can give us an insight into whether Vreedenburgh's goal was to preserve traditions or to challenge them. By delving deeper into the cultural context and using archival materials we can gain a better understanding of its meaning and significance. Art is always contingent on social and institutional context.