Amsterdam, Raadhuisstraat – J.G. van Gendt, c. 1899
€375
RAADHUISSTRAAT AMSTERDAM
“Gezicht op de Winkelgalerij van de Levensverzekering-Maatschappij ‘Utrecht’” [View of the shopping gallery of the life insurance company ‘Utrecht'”, colour lithograph based on a design by J.G. van Gendt, printed around 1899 by L. van Leer & Co in Amsterdam. Size (including text): 42.2 x 54.1 cm.
Until 1895, the Raadhuisstraat in Amsterdam was a romantic canal: the Warmoesgracht. As traffic and urban activity increased rapidly during that time, the canal was filled in and widened. The street was designed to connect to the Rozengracht, which had been filled in 1889. This made it easier for people to access the newly developed western city expansions.
Between the Herengracht and the Keizersgracht, a breakthrough was created in the row of houses. Since the connecting streets were not aligned, the Raadhuisstraat takes an S-curve. During the breakthrough, monumental canal houses were demolished to make way for the later (also monumental) shopping gallery designed by Van Gendt and Sons.
The gallery was constructed during a period when Amsterdam’s old city center was being expanded with large modern buildings, such as the Central Station, De Bijenkorf, the Rijksmuseum, and the main post office. Cities like Paris and Vienna were achieving modern metropolitan grandeur in the 19th century. Initially, Amsterdam was relatively poor at the time, resulting in few of such impressive buildings in the city. The gallery is a notable exception to this trend.
The complex, completed in 1899, consisted of 18 retail buildings and two residential houses connected by a continuous gallery. The Life Insurance Company Utrecht became the owner. The eclectic gallery features elements from various styles, including Art Nouveau, influences by H.P. Berlage, and Scottish details. The structure follows the curve of the street and is richly decorated with sculpted crocodiles and other (predatory) animals, intended to serve as a “memento mori” for unsuspecting passersby and function as an advertisement for the life insurance company.
Price: Euro 375,-
