Rådhuset på Gammeltorv i København 1756

Johan Jacob Bruun created this print of ‘Rådhuset på Gammeltorv i København’ sometime in the 18th century, offering us a glimpse into the civic heart of Copenhagen. Bruun, as an artist, was navigating a society deeply structured by class and commerce, where images of cityscapes often served to reinforce a sense of civic pride. Yet, if we pause to consider the people who animated this space – the merchants, the laborers, the unseen servants – we begin to understand this square as a nexus of diverse experiences, each shaped by their position within the city’s economic and social hierarchies. Notice the almost absent presence of women. This absence speaks volumes about the gendered nature of public life during this period. Bruun's image invites us to reflect on the stories that often go unrepresented in the grand narratives of urban life.