Gezicht op de Vijverberg en de Hofvijver c. 1700

Jan van Call created this print, "Gezicht op de Vijverberg en de Hofvijver," around the turn of the 18th century, a period marked by the Dutch Republic's economic and cultural prominence. Van Call’s depiction presents us with a scene of serene bourgeois life. During this era, the Netherlands was a hub for global trade and artistic innovation, yet the seeds of future socio-economic tensions were being sown. The print offers a seemingly neutral view of The Hague, but, like much art, it serves to subtly reinforce the values and power structures of its time. The figures strolling along the Vijverberg, with the Hofvijver and grand buildings in the background, represent the merchant classes who had come to dominate Dutch society. What’s left out, or remains in the shadows, are the stories of the working class and the colonies whose exploitation funded this prosperity. While appearing to offer an objective view, Van Call’s print contributes to a narrative that favored the elite, masking the complex social dynamics beneath the surface. This image provides a window into the past, inviting us to consider whose stories are told and whose are omitted.