Schilderijenverkoop op de binnenplaats van het Oudezijds Herenlogement te Amsterdam, 1773 c. 1773

In 1773, Hermanus Petrus Schouten created this etching, depicting a painting sale in the courtyard of the Oudezijds Herenlogement in Amsterdam. This artwork provides a window into the economic and cultural life of 18th-century Amsterdam, hinting at the art market's role in the city's social fabric. The scene is filled with figures, each distinguished by dress and posture, reflecting the rigid social hierarchy of the time. We can see merchants, potential buyers, and onlookers from various social strata gathered in the courtyard. The painting sale is a social performance, where economic transactions intertwine with displays of status and taste. Schouten invites us to reflect on how art serves as both a commodity and a marker of identity, shaping our understanding of the past and present.