Stadsgezicht van de Leuvehaven richting de Hoofdpoort te Rotterdam 1746 - 1814

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this print of the Leuvehaven, looking towards the Hoofdpoort in Rotterdam. Prints like this one, served as a window into a world shaped by maritime trade and colonial expansion. As ships arrive and depart, they embody the intersection of commerce, power, and the human stories woven into the fabric of Rotterdam’s port. The presence of these vessels reminds us of the labor, exploitation, and exchange that defined this era. What stories do these ships carry? Reflect on the lives of the sailors, merchants, and enslaved individuals whose journeys intertwined on these waters. Consider the indigenous populations impacted by the arrival of these ships on distant shores. Bendorp’s print invites us to contemplate not only the grandeur of Rotterdam’s port, but also the complex and often troubling legacy of its maritime past.