Twee gezichten op de Singel te Amsterdam, waarvan één reproductie van een prent door Hermanus Petrus Schouten 1890 - 1900

This is an anonymous print featuring two views of the Singel canal in Amsterdam, one a reproduction of an earlier print by Hermanus Petrus Schouten. The Singel, once a defensive moat, became a central artery of Amsterdam, lined with patrician houses. Prints like this served a crucial role in shaping the city's image, both for its inhabitants and for those abroad. In a pre-photographic era, they were a primary means of disseminating visual information, contributing to the construction of a shared cultural understanding of Amsterdam. The act of reproducing Schouten's print also speaks to the importance of tradition and historical continuity in Dutch culture. Such imagery invites questions about the urban development of Amsterdam and the relationship between its physical space and social identity. What did it mean to represent Amsterdam in this way? To answer that we could consider the history of Dutch printmaking and urbanism, as well as period writings about Amsterdam and its social structure.