De Kleine Vispoort op de Vijgendam met een doorkijk naar de Vismarkt 1757 - 1872

This drawing depicts the Kleine Vispoort, or Small Fish Gate, on the Vijgendam, offering a view towards the Vismarkt, or Fish Market. Observe the archway, a dominant motif across cultures since antiquity. These structures, found in triumphal arches and city gates throughout history, are thresholds, not only physical but symbolic too. Consider the Roman arches celebrating military victories. In contrast, here in Amsterdam, the arch frames not a conquering hero but the everyday commerce of the fish market. The image of the archway resonates with our collective memory, embodying the subconscious desire to transition from one state to another. This desire appears again and again throughout time. We are reminded of the arch as a constant, a cultural symbol through which humanity seeks passage.