Gezicht op de binnenplaats van de Beurs van Hendrik de Keyser c. 1770 - 1783

Hermanus Petrus Schouten created this print of the courtyard of the Hendrik de Keyser Stock Exchange in Amsterdam. During the 18th century, the Dutch Republic was a major center for international trade and finance. The stock exchange was a symbol of this economic power, but also of the social structures that supported it. Schouten's print offers a glimpse into the world of Dutch commerce, populated almost exclusively by men, mostly white, engaged in the business of empire. Notice the architecture of the courtyard, how it emphasizes order and rationality, values that were highly prized during the Enlightenment. However, this vision of order obscures the realities of economic exploitation and social inequality that were inherent in the Dutch colonial system. The wealth and privilege on display in this image were built on the backs of enslaved people and colonized lands. Schouten's print invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between economic progress and social justice, and the ways in which art can both celebrate and critique the values of a particular time and place.