Gezicht op Arnhem vanaf de Amsterdamseweg 1812 - 1887

Frederik Lodewijk Huygens created this print of Arnhem from Amsterdamseweg, using lithography. During Huygens' lifetime, rapid industrialization and urbanization transformed Dutch society, creating new social classes and economic disparities. This print presents a society divided along lines of gender and class. Notice the women with pails who are possibly coming to or from working in the fields. They are set in contrast with the affluent families arriving in carriages. Prints like this one helped shape perceptions and construct narratives about Dutch identity. The print may evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time, even as it reflected the complexities and contradictions of a rapidly changing world. It invites us to reflect on how power dynamics shape our understanding of urban space.