Stadsgezicht met Werkhuis 1782

Cornelis Brouwer created this print, titled 'Stadsgezicht met Werkhuis', at an unknown date. The print depicts the Werkhuis, or workhouse, a common feature of 18th-century Dutch cities. These institutions existed to provide work and lodging to the poor, but they were also a means of social control. In a society rigidly structured by class, Brouwer’s work invites us to consider who was deemed worthy of inclusion and who was relegated to the margins. Workhouses often served as a last resort for women and children, revealing the gendered dimensions of poverty and labor during this period. The artist shows a cross-section of society: the well-to-do on the bridge and a lone worker on a barge. This composition serves as a visual reminder of the disparities woven into the fabric of Dutch society at the time. Although modest in scale, the print presents a window into the complex realities of 18th-century life, prompting us to reflect on historical and contemporary issues of social welfare.