Gezicht op de binnenplaats van de Beurs van Hendrick de Keyser in Amsterdam 1824

Roelof van der Meulen made this print of the courtyard of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange during the Dutch Golden Age. It depicts a bustling scene where commerce and community converge. The stock exchange was not merely a place of trade; it was a stage upon which social identities were performed and reinforced. The print invites us to consider the dynamics of class and gender within this space. The presence of only men suggests a world of commerce from which women were excluded, underscoring the gendered nature of economic power in 19th-century Dutch society. The architecture itself, with its classical arches and orderly layout, embodies the values of reason and order that underpinned the mercantile ethos. Yet, the shadows cast across the courtyard hint at the uncertainties and risks inherent in the pursuit of wealth. Van der Meulen captures a moment in time that reveals both the aspirations and the anxieties of a society in transition.