Uitgang van het Vondelpark 1951

Quirijn Halbertsma made this lithograph, "Uitgang van het Vondelpark," in 1955. It shows an exit from the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. Halbertsma uses a stark monochrome palette and slightly abstracted forms to depict the urban landscape. The park, a space traditionally associated with leisure and recreation, is here framed by the rigid geometry of the city's architecture. Made in the post-war period, this work reflects a tension between the desire for open, green spaces and the constraints of urban planning. The Vondelpark itself was originally created in the 19th century as a space for the bourgeoisie to stroll and be seen; Halbertsma’s print hints at how these spaces evolve and are reinterpreted over time. Examining archival materials, such as city planning documents and social surveys from the period, can give us a deeper understanding of how this image participates in broader conversations about urban life and the role of public space in shaping social experience.