Amsterdam – Casparus Commelin + Andries van Damme, 1726
“Amsterdam met desselfs omleggende landen” [Amsterdam with its surrounding lands], copper engraving here in its second state (of five) from the Beschryvinge van Amsterdam by Casparus Commelin, first published in 1693 and here reissued by Andries van Damme in 1726. Coloured by a later hand. Size: 40.5 x 56.5 cm.
At the top center, the title is depicted on a relatively small banner. In the upper right corner, two small shields with the city’s coat of arms are stacked, topped by an imperial crown and the city seal. The most important buildings are drawn in elevation. The map appears somewhat unbalanced because the city is depicted to the right of the center. The reason for this is that the map illustrates the drainage and water refreshment system. Several windmills, which “grind out the dirty water,” are part of this system.
The city is shown with the Fourth Expansion. The famous semicircle of the Amsterdam “grachtengordel” [canal belt] had been completed by 1665.
The Fourth Expansion was planned in response to the rapid population growth that had occurred since the late sixteenth century. However, this projection turned out to be overly optimistic. Amsterdam continued to grow until around 1735, but at a much slower pace than anticipated. In 1708, the area around Hoogte Kadijk was re-parceled, causing existing industries to disappear, including the remnants of the village of Oetewaal. The Oostenburg neigbourhood was not fully built until around 1720. Subsequently, purchase and rental prices in Amsterdam skyrocketed, and by around 1730, rental housing was scarce. In some parts of the city center, where industrial activity had previously been located—such as on the western side of the Keizersgracht—canal houses were eventually built. Unused space north of the Amstel had already been allocated to urban institutions, such as the Hortus and charitable organizations like the Amstelhof, while the remaining land was designated for recreational use, with various forms of entertainment. Today, this area is known as the Plantagebuurt.