Amsterdam, Weesperzijde – Izaak de Wit Jansz. after Johannes Vinkeles, 1802

“Gezicht op den Buiten-Amstel van de Weesperzijde op de Stad Amsterdam te zien.” [View of the Outer Amstel from the Weesperzijde, looking toward the city of Amsterdam.] Etching made in 1802 by Izaak Jansz. de Wit after a drawing by Johannes Vinkeles. Coloured by a later hand. Size: 20.5 × 23.3 cm.

The view is taken from the Weesperzijde, at the corner of the Singelgracht, looking westward toward the Hogesluis. In the background rise the fortifications of the Westerblokhuis with the post mill “De Leeuw” (at 35 metres the tallest windmill in Amsterdam) and the Oosterblokhuis with the mill “De Bul” (right, on the site now occupied by the Amstel Hotel).

The print depicts a location that, during the French Period, belonged to the most strategic yet at the same time most lively edges of Amsterdam. It formed a transitional zone between the fortified urban core of the city and the open Amstelland, with its country estates, towpaths, and towboat traffic toward Ouderkerk and Utrecht. The two blockhouses were part of the seventeenth-century expansions of the city, when Amsterdam systematically modernised its defensive works.

In the foreground, along the Weesperzijde, a sledge drawn by two harnessed horses moves forward. On the frozen water the scene is bustling: skaters move in all directions, while to the right a koek-en-zopie tent serves as a point for gathering and refreshment.

Price: Euro 395,-