Inwoners van Amsterdam in de gedaante van kikkers verzameld op de Dam 1665

This print, "Inwoners van Amsterdam in de gedaante van kikkers verzameld op de Dam," presents a detailed depiction of Amsterdam's Dam Square populated by figures seemingly mid-transformation into frogs. Executed in a monochromatic palette, the artist employs fine linework to render the architecture and the dense crowd. The visual structure is sharply divided, with the formal facade of the building contrasting with the chaotic assembly of figures below. The artist uses the metaphor of frogs to destabilize the viewer’s perception of the city's inhabitants, inviting a reading that critiques or satirizes Amsterdam society. The choice of the frog, an amphibian caught between two worlds, as a symbol, reflects the tension between surface appearances and underlying realities. Note the coat of arms at the base, reinforcing the print's commentary on civic identity. The print questions fixed meanings, challenging us to consider how identity is formed, represented, and perhaps, distorted through social and political lenses.