Gezicht langs de Amstel 1635 - 1707

Jan Gabrielsz. Sonjé made this drawing of a view along the Amstel river with pen in the 17th century, a period in Dutch history known as the Golden Age. This era was marked by unprecedented economic prosperity and cultural flourishing, yet it was also a time of stark social inequalities. Sonjé's landscape presents an ordered and serene vision of the Dutch countryside, but this idealized image is carefully constructed. The figures of the fishermen on the riverbank quietly speak to the everyday labor that underpinned the nation’s wealth. The composition is divided, where on one side we see men working, and on the other side we see a house, a symbol of wealth. The image is framed so that both sides meet in the middle, suggesting a shared space. As you contemplate this tranquil scene, consider the stories of those who were excluded from the Golden Age.