In the 17th century, Amsterdam transformed from a mid-sized port city into a powerful world city. Artists captured this spectacular growth in cityscapes that show not only what Amsterdam looked like, but also how the city wanted to be seen: as a wealthy, powerful and innovative city with a respectable past. For the first time, the most beautiful and iconic cityscapes from this period are brought together in the exhibition Meesterwerk Amsterdam. This unique collaboration between the Amsterdam City Archives and the Amsterdam Museum celebrates not only the city’s visual legacy but also the Amsterdam Museum’s centenary.
Michiel van Musscher (1645-1705), A vegetable woman on the Haarlemmerdijk, 1668
Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the growing city. From the construction of the canal ring to the imposing new town hall on Dam Square, from lively markets to the bustle of ships on the IJ: the cityscapes show a city on the move. At the same time, they offer a glimpse of daily life in the 17th century, and of the diversity of society at the time. It was the people who gave Amsterdam its rhythm and meaning, and their stories are still relevant today.
A historic collaboration
The exhibition is a unique collaboration between the Amsterdam City Archives and the Amsterdam Museum. The temporary closure of the Amsterdam Museum’s main location offers the chance to bring together highlights from both collections, complemented by special loans from the Netherlands and abroad. This collaboration marks the centenary of the Amsterdam Museum, which has been collecting and sharing the city’s stories since 1926. Meesterwerk Amsterdam is a tribute to the city’s rich history as well as to the role of both institutions in preserving and presenting this heritage.
The exhibition is curated by Norbert E. Middelkoop, senior curator of paintings, drawings, and prints at the Amsterdam Museum, and Erik Schmitz senior curator at the Amsterdam City Archives.
Publication
A richly illustrated book will be published to accompany the exhibition, available in Dutch and English editions by publisher Thoth: Amsterdam – A Work of Art: The City Depicted in the 17th Century. It is available for purchase from November 6 at the Amsterdam City Archives, (online) bookstores, and the publisher. The publication was compiled by Norbert Middelkoop and Erik Schmitz, with contributions from Jaap Evert Abrahamse, Boudewijn Bakker, Jan de Klerk, Tom van der Molen, Leonore van Sloten, and Leonoor van Oosterzee.