Amsterdam as the Centre of World Trade

This painted harpsichord lid is literally bursting with ambition. Depicted at the left is Amsterdam, personified by the City Maid. The world lies at her feet: in the distance is the African Cape of Good Hope, at the left Asia with the Indonesian archipelago, and at the right America. In the meantime, the Dutch sail en masse to these regions, conquer them, and conduct trade there. In this way the Spanish foe is thwarted, as is inscribed in Latin on the stone at the right.