Gezicht op het stadhuis van Hoorn before 1894

This is an undated photograph of the Stadhuis or city hall in Hoorn, Netherlands, by an anonymous artist. Its existence raises questions about historical documentation, cultural preservation, and the politics of representation in art. The choice to depict civic architecture invites us to consider how power and governance are visually constructed. Hoorn was a significant port city in the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by economic prosperity, colonialism, and the exploitation of enslaved people. This image makes us ponder how such histories of trade and possibly even oppression are embedded in the very fabric of the buildings we see. What narratives does the building tell, and whose stories are left out? How does an image like this shape our understanding of Dutch identity, history, and its relationship to global power structures? The photograph isn't simply a neutral record of architecture, it is also an invitation to contemplate the complex layers of identity, memory, and social justice inherent in our built environment.