Het Rokin, gezien naar de Munt 1785

Jacob Cats created this drawing, "Het Rokin, gezien naar de Munt," at the end of the 18th century. Its sepia tones and detailed lines capture a bustling Amsterdam street. The composition, structured by receding perspective, draws the eye towards the distant Munt tower. The drawing's formal elements reveal a city alive with commerce. On the left, figures cluster around barrels and crates; to the right, the architecture is depicted with close attention to detail. These structural components of the drawing present a dichotomy between labor and the static architecture of commerce. Moreover, the use of line and shading, particularly in the buildings, creates a sense of depth. But the semiotic here isn't in what is included but in what isn't, the drawing's muted palette suggests a world of trade dependent on the exploitation of colonial resources. Notice how Cats uses architectural precision not just as aesthetic but as a reflection of cultural values and the socio-economic structure of the period. It leaves us to interpret the values and economics that underpin its creation and function.