Gezicht op het stadhuis van Kampen before 1894

This is a photographic print of the town hall of Kampen, made by an anonymous photographer and now held in the Rijksmuseum. What does it mean to capture architecture through photography? The Dutch Republic was in many ways defined by its cities and their architectural achievements. Thinkers like Constantijn Huygens even suggested that the character of a city was embodied in its architecture. This photogravure, part of a series titled ‘Architectuur der Nederlanden’, speaks to the ways architectural photography can not only document buildings but also promote a particular idea of national identity. To truly understand this image, one must consider the history of urbanism, civic identity, and early photography in the Netherlands. It’s this kind of interdisciplinary research that reveals how art is deeply embedded in its social and institutional contexts.