Gezichten op de stad Haarlem vanuit Heemstede en Overveen 1761 - 1763

Curator: Here we have Hendrik Spilman's "Views of the city of Haarlem from Heemstede and Overveen," created between 1761 and 1763. It's a print, more specifically, an engraving. Editor: My first thought is, what a delicate touch! The fineness of the lines makes the landscape feel almost like a dream, softened and gentle. Curator: Indeed. Spilman’s technique really emphasizes the constructed nature of landscape as representation. We can almost feel the engraver's hand meticulously carving the image into the plate. How that labor shapes our view of the urban landscape, of Haarlem itself, is quite compelling. Editor: You're right; there's a precision here. But I’m also struck by the variety of vantage points. Three distinct views, almost like separate acts in a play about the city. The figures feel so small against the landscapes. Are they even aware of this overview or even overviewed themselves in their daily routines? Curator: Absolutely! And that’s what grounds us. We are in a time well before modern transportation, with access points to the city more laborious than most of us would even guess! That bridge looks rather inconvenient in the top panel. Consider, too, how the economics of printmaking meant these images circulated widely. They formed, in a sense, a shared visual culture amongst the burghers of the time. It’s a commodified landscape. Editor: Thinking about that circulation, about people possessing these multiple perspectives in a single print, gives the print a very meta quality! Like early photography's interest in 'capturing' place and the artist/tourist relationship. I'm starting to picture this spread hanging in a grand parlor. Curator: Precisely. It’s a document reflecting not just space, but social status and expanding notions of territory and citizenry. Spilman, through the craft of engraving, helps create a collective, consumable image of place. Editor: To be in two places, two minds, at once, seems possible, contemplating these views of Haarlem. Thank you for making me think and look again at the bridge!