Gezicht op Amsterdam 1874

William Unger created this etching called "Gezicht op Amsterdam," or "View of Amsterdam" sometime in his lifetime, between 1837 and 1932. Unger made this print after establishing himself as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. The image shows us ships in the harbor with the skyline of Amsterdam behind. At the time Unger made this print, Amsterdam was becoming a more industrialized city, as you can see by the smoking factory chimneys in the distance. As an artist trained in the 19th century academy system, Unger would have been expected to create idealized and beautiful images. But as we can see here, he did not shy away from showing the changing face of Amsterdam. To understand Unger's work more fully, it would be helpful to look at other images of Amsterdam from this period, as well as information about the art academy where he taught. By looking at art in its social and institutional context, we can better understand its meaning.