De stadsaanplakker, te Amsterdam bij regen 1881

Cornelis Stephanus Roos created this print, “De stadsaanplakker, te Amsterdam bij regen,” capturing a wet scene in Amsterdam. The print, rendered in muted tones, evokes a sense of enclosure and the somberness of a rainy day. The composition centres on the act of public announcement. A figure stands prominently in the middle, stick in hand pointing to a wall covered in posters. Roos uses this focal point as a semiotic anchor, drawing viewers into the social space where information is disseminated. The diagonal lines of the rain and umbrellas create a dynamic, yet constrained space, reflective of social interactions in the city. Roos masterfully employs light and shadow to articulate the architectural structures, contrasting the public spectacle against the backdrop of urban life. This interplay of form and content reveals the role of the city as a communicative space.