Two Men with Mercantile Wares, after a Model for the West Tympanum of the Amsterdam Town Hall (now Royal Palace) at Dam Square c. 1652 - 1653

Editor: This metal sculpture, "Two Men with Mercantile Wares," was created around 1652-1653 by Artus Quellinus, and was intended as a model for the Amsterdam Town Hall. It seems to depict a transaction. What underlying themes are present in the exchange shown here? Curator: This piece speaks volumes about the Dutch Golden Age and its obsession with commerce. What initially strikes me is how Quellinus seems to legitimize trade, even elevate it, by portraying merchants in a classical style. The male figures evoke images of Greek and Roman statesmen and philosophers, rather than ordinary traders. Editor: So, it's about visually legitimizing the rising merchant class? Curator: Precisely. Amsterdam was a hub of global trade at the time. Think about it – representing merchants this way was a deliberate act of nation-building, linking economic success with classical ideals. How does the sculpture's presence on the Town Hall, now the Royal Palace, reinforce this idea? Editor: It's almost like saying commerce is the new aristocracy! The Town Hall was a center of power, and these merchants are literally part of the architecture. It suggests their importance to the city's identity and prosperity. Curator: Exactly! And think about who was excluded from this narrative. Where are the voices and experiences of those exploited through colonialism and the slave trade that fuelled this commerce? This sculpture prompts critical questions about whose stories are being told and whose are being deliberately erased. Editor: It’s a powerful reminder that even in celebrating prosperity, we need to consider the full, often obscured, picture of history. I see that more clearly now. Curator: Indeed. Engaging with these hidden histories transforms the sculpture into a focal point for necessary dialogues.