Gezicht op een brug 1626 - 1677

Thomas Wijck made this etching of a bridge, sometime in the 17th century, when the Dutch Republic was at the height of its Golden Age. The ruined bridge and fortified building are set in an Italianate landscape. Wijck and other Dutch artists made their names producing Italian scenes for a Dutch market, showing how travel and trade were shaping artistic production. But there’s more to this image than just picturesque buildings. Bridges like this one were vital pieces of infrastructure for merchants. The image shows ordinary workers going about their business transporting goods across the bridge. What is the public role of art in this context? We can use archives of merchants’ records and travel journals to understand the cultural values circulating at this time. The art of the Dutch Golden Age teaches us how economic power reshaped the image world.