Gezicht op de overhaal tussen Schinkel en Kostverlorenvaart 1762 - 1822

Hermanus Petrus Schouten created this print, "Gezicht op de overhaal tussen Schinkel en Kostverlorenvaart," likely in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts a scene of daily life in Amsterdam, focusing on the mechanics and labor involved in transporting boats between waterways. The print offers insight into the economic activities and social structures of the time. The laborers, rendered with a degree of anonymity, are central to the operation of this infrastructure. It prompts us to consider their role in the city's commerce and the physical demands of their work. The more affluent figures in carriages remind us of the class divisions inherent in Dutch society. This image exists as a reminder of how essential human labor was to the functioning of the 18th and 19th century city, and asks us to consider those often unseen workers whose efforts kept Amsterdam moving.