Allegorie op Amsterdam 1737

Curator: Look at all this activity! A crowned female figure enthroned over…everything, it seems! It’s like Amsterdam sprung from the head of Zeus, fully formed. It's an allegorical print; anonymous, though made in 1737. Editor: My first impression is grandeur mixed with a strange stillness, despite all the implied commotion. The composition leads your eye around a tableau of very proud-looking figures. Is that supposed to be the harbor in the background? Curator: Indeed, that's Amsterdam, bustling along the horizon. This print is called "Allegorie op Amsterdam," now held here at the Rijksmuseum. It's an engraving that embodies the city as a regal queen, gesturing towards its bright future, presumably. See the river gods below her? A really triumphant picture! Editor: That's where the stillness hits me; she isn't interacting with anyone. And there's something unsettling about her being held up by…laborers? The blatant symbolism strikes me as a bit heavy-handed, frankly. It is also intriguing because prints such as this offered a vision for the Dutch Republic’s global aspirations. Curator: Well, allegory *is* rarely subtle! But I find it comforting, this solid statement of purpose. She sits confidently in what is literally a picture frame…it makes it more theatrical, you see? A little stage show celebrating the Dutch golden age that already started crumbling around it at the time. The artist is trying to reassure an international readership perhaps. Editor: Yes, like propaganda. Look at that sledgehammer in the corner and the inscription 'guide for the precise description of Amsterdam,' which lends this image some official air…who were the intended audience for those? Were these objects of civic promotion handed to diplomats or wealthy merchants? Curator: That's an excellent question. It may very well be aimed for travelers passing through Amsterdam or recent migrants making a new start in the city, promising some familiarity with the bustling, busy life. The way to find that life…is the lady pointing? Let's take the guided tour to understand the directions. Editor: Regardless of its original role, this "Allegory of Amsterdam" definitely captures the city’s self-image. An assertion of Dutch prowess presented as indisputable fact. I would really have liked to hear what the engraver truly felt making such grand propaganda. Curator: Me too! Still, the work reminds me of what makes Amsterdam Amsterdam: full of pride, confident, and slightly mysterious at heart.