Profiel van Amsterdam, gezien vanaf het IJ (rechterdeel) 1611

Claes Jansz. Visscher created this print, "Profile of Amsterdam, seen from the IJ," a detailed depiction of Amsterdam from the waterfront, during the Dutch Golden Age. This period saw the Netherlands at the center of global trade. Visscher offers us a glimpse into the era’s complex social dynamics. The print features a bustling scene with ships, merchants, and laborers, illustrating Amsterdam’s thriving economy but it also offers a perspective on gender roles of the time. In the foreground, women are depicted carrying heavy loads, highlighting their role in the labor force, while men conduct business and hunt. The figures draw attention to labor, and thus to trade which relied on colonial exploitation and the labor of enslaved peoples. Visscher’s print invites us to consider the relationship between landscape, labor, and the construction of identity in a time of great economic and social change. It encourages us to reflect on the personal and collective narratives embedded in the cityscape.