Amsterdam, Waag Nieuwmarkt – Leon Schenk after Abraham Rademaker, ca. 1720

“Gesigt van de Nieuwe Merkt, en S. Antoni Waag, te sien na de Brouwery van de Haan tot Amsterdam” [View of the Nieuwmarkt and Waag, seen from the brewery ‘De Haan’ in Amsterdam]. Etching with engraving made by Leonhard Schenk around 1720 after a drawing by Abraham Rademaker. Coloured by a later hand. Size: 55 x 95.5 cm.

From the Kloveniersburgwal, we look onto the Nieuwmarkt. Here stands the former Sint Antoniespoort, built in 1488 on the Zeedijk. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the three main entrances to Amsterdam. From this spot, the people of Amsterdam successfully defended their city against the forces from Guelders. Originally, three-quarters of the building stood in water. In 1600, the city wall was dismantled. Between 1617 and 1618, the building was converted into a weigh house by covering the inner courtyard, the space between the outer and main gates. This new weigh house was intended to relieve the weigh house on the Dam square, which had become too small. The upper floors housed several guilds, including those of the blacksmiths, painters, masons, and surgeons (it says “Anatomia” on the flag on the central tower). Each guild had its own entrance through the small gates surrounding the building.

It was only in 1614 that the square around the building was created by land reclamation. The square became a market square, hosting a fish market and an “Eastern” market, as well as public punishments. Here, people were whipped, branded, and hanged. However, in this scene, we see a comedy performance being held for a crowd of spectators. Clothing, hats, and shoes are being sold. A horse pulls a sled loaded with barrels across the cobblestones. On the left along the Kloveniersburgwal, shops sell food, and there is a vegetable market along the quay. There is also activity on the water in front of the market, with boats coming and going.

The brewery ‘De Haan,’ mentioned in the title, stood on the Geldersekade, on the opposite side of the Nieuwmarkt from the viewer’s perspective.

This print is part of a series of 25 rare, large views of Amsterdam and offers a colourful depiction of the life and commerce in the city at the beginning of the 18th century. This engraving is significant not only for its portrayal of the city and its architecture of that time but also for its lively details that illustrate the customs and daily life of the era.

Price: Euro 4.250,- (incl. frame)