Stadswapen van Amsterdam 1894 - 1901

Antoon Derkinderen rendered this Stadswapen van Amsterdam with pencil and watercolor. At its heart lie three Saint Andrew's crosses, silver against a red field, emblems of protection against flood, fire, and famine. The crosses are surmounted by the Imperial Crown of Austria. This addition by Maximilian I, after Amsterdam’s substantial loan to him in the 15th century, marks a shift from medieval trade hub to influential city-state. Around the shield, two lions support, symbols of courage. Olive branches representing peace frame the composition. Consider the persistence of such symbols—crosses as apotropaic devices found in ancient Byzantium, crowns evoking divine right echoed in Renaissance portraiture. These motifs resurface, laden with historical weight, triggering a resonance within us, a connection to communal memory. They reflect a city’s aspiration for security and power. The collective unconscious remembers.