Haven met kooplieden met lading 1679 - 1728

"Haven met kooplieden met lading", or "Harbor with merchants and cargo," is an etching made by Johannes Gronsveld in the late 17th or early 18th century. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, this work provides insights into the economic activities that shaped the era. At first glance, we see a bustling harbor scene, but look closer, and you might ask yourself, who is doing the hard labor? While merchants stand leisurely overseeing operations, other figures, presumably lower class, are strenuously unloading cargo. The image reflects the stark social hierarchies of the time. The merchants, identifiable by their fine clothing, represent the beneficiaries of global trade, while the laborers bear the physical burden of this prosperity. Gronsveld's etching captures a society in motion, but also one defined by visible disparities. It makes you wonder about the stories of those whose efforts fueled the wealth of the Dutch Republic.