Toren de Beer in Utrecht vanaf de stadszijde gezien 1809 - 1843

Cornelis van Hardenbergh made this print of the Beer Tower in Utrecht in the 18th or 19th century. The tower appears not as a defensive structure, but as an integrated part of the city's domestic and commercial life. It is important to recognize that 18th century Holland was a deeply divided society. On the one hand, a very small group of families controlled most of the country's wealth and power. On the other, a much larger group of people struggled to get by. We can tell this print presents a normalized view of social relations because it emphasizes the ordinary goings-on of daily life. With its picturesque aesthetic, the print hides the social divisions that were a reality for many. To truly understand images like this, we need to understand the institutional and social forces that shaped their production. By consulting archives, historical societies, and other primary source documents, we can learn about the complex social relations of the time.