Een soirée in Frascati te Amsterdam 1841

Gerhardus Fredericus Eilbracht made this print of a musical evening at Frascati in Amsterdam in 1841. The scene depicts a fashionable crowd enjoying a concert in an elaborately decorated salon, complete with festive garlands and potted trees. Frascati was a well-known establishment in Amsterdam that played an important role in the city’s social and cultural life. Places like Frascati were spaces where social classes mixed, and where cultural tastes were formed and displayed. This image is more than just a record of an event, it is also a document of the values and aspirations of the emerging Dutch middle class in the 19th century. They were eager to participate in the cultural life of the city, and to display their wealth and sophistication. Studying archival documents, such as newspapers, city directories, and business records, can reveal a more nuanced picture of the cultural and economic context of 19th-century Amsterdam, allowing us to understand the social function of places like Frascati.