Rotterdam, Lutheran church on the Blaak – H.J. Wagner + J.A. Hein, 1778
€195
PEACEFUL VIEW OF 18TH-CENTURY ROTTERDAM
Engraving made by H.J. Wagner in 1778 and published by J.A. Hein. Size: 31.9 x 40.8 cm.
The Lutheran Church (also known as the Wolfshoek Church) in Rotterdam was built between 1733 and 1736 and stood at the corner of the Wolfshoek (now the Blaak) and the Posthoornsteeg (now Posthoornstraat). The roof was dome-shaped, covered in copper, and supported a small bell tower. The entrance on the Wolfshoek side was the most elegant and was enclosed by a wrought iron gate.
In the foreground, spanning the Blaak, is the Keizersbrug (Emperor’s Bridge). To the left, the waterway leads to the Sea Fish Market.
In 1778, Rotterdam is calm. People are chatting in the streets. A beggar asks passersby for alms. Boys play with a dog while the bridge keeper watches. On the other side of the world, the American War of Independence is raging. Soon, the Patriot movement will begin to stir in the Netherlands.
The church was destroyed at the beginning of the Second World War, during the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, 1940.
Price: Euro 195,-
