Schets van een pakhuis te Amsterdam (?) 1700 - 1800

This is an undated sketch of a warehouse in Amsterdam, or perhaps elsewhere, by Andries Schouten. Given its subject we can understand this sketch within the context of the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, when the Netherlands was at the center of global trade. Amsterdam’s warehouses were vital infrastructure. They stored goods brought from around the world by the Dutch East and West India Companies. These goods, often produced by enslaved or coerced labor, contributed to the wealth of Dutch merchants. The building seems so commonplace, so purely functional. But, if warehouses are sites of storage, what histories are being concealed? What of the human cost of global trade? Seen through a contemporary lens, this sketch becomes a stark reminder of the complex legacies of colonialism and capitalism. It invites us to reflect on the stories behind the facades.