Gezicht op het Rokin 1730 - 1767

Jacob Folkema’s Gezicht op het Rokin, made some time in the 18th century, is a print – an image made by transferring ink from an etched or engraved plate to paper. Prints like this one were crucial to the development of modern capitalism. Note how the carefully incised lines create a precise and repeatable image of Amsterdam’s architecture and bustling canals. The artist would have used specialized tools to cut these lines, a demanding process requiring considerable skill. What might seem like a simple city view was in fact a commodity, produced for a growing market of consumers eager to possess images of their world. This is a classic example of how reproducible media reshaped society, allowing views and ideas to circulate widely and rapidly. The circulation and consumption of prints was not simply an artistic or aesthetic phenomenon, but also a social and economic one. So, as you look at this image, consider it as both art and artifact, a product of its time that reflects the changing landscape of labor, politics, and consumption.