Voorgevels van de twee linker Cromhouthuizen te Amsterdam 1674

Jan Matthysz. created this line drawing of the facades of the two leftmost Cromhout houses in Amsterdam. These houses, built around 1660 during the Dutch Golden Age, reflect the wealth and power of the Dutch merchant class. The architecture embodies a very Dutch kind of pride through its elaborate ornamentation. Yet, the symmetry and order also hint at the social hierarchies of the time. These houses would have been owned and occupied by white, Christian merchants who profited from global trade, including the exploitation and enslavement of people. The drawing captures the facade, but think about what it obscures. Who built these houses, and where did the wealth come from to build them? Consider the lives of those who were excluded from this picture of prosperity. It serves as a reminder of the complex legacies of the Dutch Golden Age.