Kaart van Amsterdam en omliggende gebieden / Kaart van Amstelland (middelste deel) Possibly 1685 - 1750

Editor: This is a map, "Kaart van Amsterdam en omliggende gebieden," dating perhaps from 1685 to 1750. It's attributed to Daniël Stopendaal, and created using drawing, etching, and ink. It is striking how land is displayed alongside cityscapes. What can you tell me about this map? Curator: Looking at this etching, I see more than just geographical representation; it’s a document of human intervention on the land. Note the details achieved through etching, how this lends itself to the precise depiction of property lines, waterways and infrastructural developments, how those physical divisions would also solidify power structures of land ownership, trade routes and labour exploitation, during that period. Editor: So, the act of creating the map itself, with its etches and inks, speaks to the control and organization of the land? Curator: Precisely. The lines on the map represent not just the physical layout, but also a certain level of exploitation of both the physical environment as well as labour. Can you tell how labour exploitation of land reclamation would enable this transformation? This contrasts directly with the artistry. We must challenge traditional notions of "high art" by acknowledging that even a seemingly objective representation like this reflects material realities and social relations of that particular time period. Editor: I see it! Each inked line involved surveying, division, and ultimately, claiming the space. How that reclaimed land shaped early Modern Amsterdam. Thank you, this was quite illuminating! Curator: Indeed. Remember, materiality is never neutral. It reflects and shapes our world.