Gezicht op de Westerkerk te Amsterdam 1662 - 1720

Pieter Hendricksz. Schut created this print of the Westerkerk in Amsterdam sometime between 1619 and 1660. Images of churches like this one played an important role in the social and religious life of the 17th-century Dutch Republic. As the Dutch threw off Spanish rule and embraced Protestantism, new civic institutions were needed to unify the country. Churches, depicted in prints like this, became symbols of local and national identity. Notice how Schut’s Westerkerk dominates the landscape and the lives of the people milling in front. Consider how the new Protestant church would have replaced the Catholic one as the center of community life. To understand the church’s function in Dutch society we might look at sermons from the time, consult church financial records, or read local histories of Amsterdam. The Westerkerk is not just a building, but a sign of a changing society.