A painting in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne appears to be a remarkable view of the Dutch city of Amersfoort. The work depicts the Huis met de Paarse Ruiten (House with the Purple Glass Panes) before a large scale renovation carried out in 1780 that added an extra floor.

Until now, no images were known of this well-known building, which in the seventeenth and eighteenth century was known as one of the most beautiful houses of the city.

Laurens Schoemaker, Curator of Historical Topography at the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) made the discovery when he researched the painting at the request of the Australian museum. Schoemaker attributes the painting to Jan Ekels (I) (1724-1781), a painter and draftsman active in Amsterdam.