Gezicht op het gebouw Zeerecht aan de Kampersteiger te Amsterdam c. 1770 - 1783

Hermanus Petrus Schouten created this print of the Zeerecht building on the Kampersteiger in Amsterdam using etching and engraving techniques. This image captures a moment in the bustling port of Amsterdam. During the 18th century, Amsterdam was a major hub for global trade, and this print offers insights into the city’s economic and social structures. The Zeerecht building itself was the office of marine insurance, a crucial component of maritime commerce. As the Dutch Republic grew wealthy from global trade, the presence of enslaved people in Amsterdam grew too, although they are conspicuously missing from this image. Notice how the focus on commerce and trade tends to obscure the complicated realities of the Dutch Golden Age. This image, while seemingly a straightforward depiction of a place, is also a reflection of the selective nature of historical memory. It invites us to reflect on what is shown, and what remains unseen.