Gezicht op het Oude Hoofd te Rotterdam, 1854 1855

Editor: We're looking at Hendrik Wilhelmus Last's "Gezicht op het Oude Hoofd te Rotterdam, 1854," an engraving currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. There's a calmness to this cityscape. I'm struck by how the artist captures the reflections in the water – almost mirroring the industrial activity on the shore. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It whispers to me of a time caught between worlds. You see the lingering romance in the sailboats juxtaposed with the rise of the steamships and the smoking chimneys. Last, bless his heart, understood that he was capturing a fleeting moment, a civilization mid-breath. The crisp lines of the engraving elevate something ordinary into something extraordinary. What details draw your eye? Editor: I’m fascinated by the small boat in the foreground with people in it. It kind of anchors me within the scene, giving it a relatable human scale. It also begs the question: what were they doing? Curator: Precisely! That boat is a visual invitation. It’s Last playfully inserting himself—and by extension, us—into the unfolding story of Rotterdam. Were they fishing? Commuting? Who knows! Last asks us not just to look, but to wonder, to imagine the everyday lives playing out against this backdrop of industrial transformation. Isn't it fascinating? Editor: Definitely! I initially saw it as a serene landscape, but now I appreciate that undercurrent of change and industry bubbling just beneath the surface. Curator: Exactly! That tension, that delicate balance, makes it far more than just a pretty picture. It's history whispering secrets in ink. And you, my dear, you heard it. Editor: It was like opening a time capsule with you! Thanks for helping me see beyond the surface.