Gezicht op de Derde Regulierspoort te Amsterdam 1663 - 1664

Editor: This is *Gezicht op de Derde Regulierspoort te Amsterdam*, or *View of the Third Regulierspoort in Amsterdam*, an engraving by Jacob van Meurs from around 1663-1664. It shows a waterway and gate in Amsterdam. The scene feels very orderly to me, calm and prosperous. How do you interpret this work? Curator: That's a perceptive initial reading. The Dutch Golden Age was indeed a period of great economic expansion and civic pride, but these images also worked to establish social power. Consider how the image depicts access and movement. The Regulierspoort acted as a controlled entry point to the city, representing not just physical infrastructure but also structures of power. How does that change your perception of the image? Editor: It makes me think about who had access and who was excluded. Seeing it now, it does have a strong separation between the outside and inside of the city. Curator: Exactly. Look at the bridge, almost like a stage for those crossing. These cityscapes are not neutral; they participated in constructing identities and reinforcing social hierarchies. Can you identify possible clues of class or occupation in how the people are drawn? Editor: Hmm… maybe the people on the boats? Perhaps they're lower class since they aren’t using the bridge? Curator: A good point to consider, the engraving captures a moment of daily life but is actually commenting on the lived reality of disparate classes within Amsterdam at that time. These works reveal to us then and now, who has the right to access and move freely. Editor: That’s fascinating. I never considered the social dynamics within a landscape like this before. Thanks for helping me read the city a bit better. Curator: It's been a pleasure! Remember to always look beyond the surface, because art is intrinsically connected to societal ideologies.