Havengezicht 1778 - 1838

Anthonie van den Bos created this sepia drawing titled 'Havengezicht', or 'Harbor View', sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The piece offers us a glimpse into the bustling maritime activity of the time. Van den Bos, born in an era defined by colonialism and trade, presents a scene imbued with both the promise and the price of global exchange. Note the ships, symbols of commerce and connection, but also potential agents of conflict and colonial expansion. The figures on the shore are engaged in labor, moving goods that fueled the economies of empires. This drawing doesn’t shy away from implicating its viewers in the complexities of its time. It acknowledges how the beauty and opportunity of a harbor scene are inseparable from the labor, exploitation, and geopolitical struggles that shaped the world.