Gezicht op de binnenplaats van het Rasphuis te Amsterdam 1664

This is an anonymous print depicting the courtyard of the Rasphuis in Amsterdam. The Rasphuis, established in the late 16th century, was a workhouse for men convicted of petty crimes, a proto-prison. Here, the men are engaged in rasping wood, a laborious task used both as punishment and as a means of production. This print offers a window into the social and penal systems of the time. It reflects the era’s attitudes towards crime, labor, and social control. As we observe the repetitive, dehumanizing labor, it prompts questions about justice, and the emotional weight of confinement. The image asks us to consider the relationship between societal structures and individual lives, and to reflect on how spaces of confinement shape identity and experience. The Rasphuis aimed to reform, but it also perpetuated a system where labor and punishment were deeply intertwined.