Gezicht op de Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal met de achterkant van de Nieuwe Kerk en het Stadhuis op de Dam 1760

Curator: This engraving, created around 1760 by Paulus van Liender, gives us a detailed look at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal with the back of the Nieuwe Kerk and the Town Hall on the Dam square in Amsterdam. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the light; it’s incredibly soft, diffused. And there’s so much happening! A little drama with every figure—people milling about, tiny figures animated in silhouette, the detail in the sky alone could take hours to drink in. Curator: What’s fascinating is how van Liender uses the printmaking process here. Look at the repetitive hatching; the artist must have considered deeply how to best mimic light and shadow by working at the level of mass production and consumption of images. And by extension, of course, consider the politics of urban spaces at this moment. Who are the images for? How accessible were they? Editor: It's true, the technical skill involved is remarkable, considering the tools and labor it required. Yet, beyond that, it speaks of quiet industry, and to a moment where life simply *happened* at a different pace. The buildings exude solidity, the sky a breezy calmness. The daily activity is captured with the buildings seemingly looking on. Curator: Precisely. Think about the social context. This was the Dutch Golden Age, a period of significant economic prosperity and cultural flourishing. Prints like these weren't merely decorative; they functioned as documents, disseminating information about the city's layout and its key landmarks. What relationship do we, as contemporary consumers of this image, then, enter into? Editor: I keep drifting back to the human presence woven in; it really gives scale and a soul to it all. I also can't help wondering who the dog belongs to, trotting off to somewhere! It all feels intimate and vast at once. Curator: Right, there’s tension. Van Liender captured the moment the city presented itself as an object for consideration in its nascent modern urban fabric, where even an incidental pet represents new economic actualities. But also for whom did the city perform? Editor: A beautiful question that lingers with me even now. The image acts like a mirror – to past and present selves and how we look back upon history. Curator: I agree entirely, what van Liender created through precise engraving remains powerfully relevant to how we experience urban history now.