Gezicht op de Admiraliteitswerf op Kattenburg te Amsterdam Possibly 1710 - 1766

This anonymous print shows the Admiralty shipyard in Amsterdam. It was made with etching, a printmaking technique, at an unknown date. The image invites us to consider the role of the Dutch East India Company in shaping Dutch society. The shipyard was not merely a place of production; it was a locus of power, wealth, and global ambition. The ships themselves symbolize the reach of Dutch trade and naval power across the seas. The institution of the admiralty, of course, served to promote and protect the interests of merchants. What makes this image interesting is its focus on the infrastructure of empire. Most images of this time focused on the ships themselves, but this one shows the complex systems of production that made those ships possible. To understand this image further, we might consult archival records of the Admiralty, merchant guilds, and the East India Company itself. Only by understanding the social and institutional context can we appreciate the full significance of this print.