The 'Golden Bend' in the Herengracht, Seen from the East

This painting by the 17th-century painter Gerrit Berckheyde is one of the finest examples of Dutch city views. It shows the most expensive piece of real estate on Amsterdam’s canals, known for centuries as the 'Golden Bend'. The painting provides a fascinating portrait of one of the most successful building projects of the 17th century. The bright colours and the sharp contrast between the shaded, newly erected urban palaces and the sun-soaked blank walls adjacent to the yet unbuilt sites lend the 'Golden Bend' (1671-72) a serene, timeless, almost modern, abstract quality. Apart from the detail, the painting also has a remarkable narrative quality,
making it particularly interesting from both a historical and an art-historical perspective.