View of the Dam in Amsterdam

This painting gives a lively impression of Amsterdam in the 18th century. At left are the Town Hall (now the Royal Palace) and the Nieuwe Kerk, at right the Waag (weigh house), where some vendors cart off their wares, while others queue up to have theirs weighed. An elegant couple wends its way amidst the bustle; behind them at the left a man has his shoes polished.