A View of the Waag on the Dam, Amsterdam

The Waag, built in 1565, was the first monumental building in the Renaissance style in Amsterdam. This view shows the Waag before its reconstruction in 1775-7 because of subsidence. Bert Gerlagh has kindly confirmed the attribution and dates this drawing to circa 1770-5. The drawing may have been done for Pierre Fouquet's Atlas of Amsterdam, but was probably never used owing to the reconstruction. Schouten's comparable view of the rebuilt Waag was engraved for Fouquet's revised and enlarged edition of the Atlas of Amsterdam that was published in circa 1780. In 1808 the Waag was demolished by order of Napoleon's brother King Lodewijk Napoleon, whose view from the Royal Palace was interrupted by the building. Gerrit Lamberts' drawing of its demolition was sold in these Rooms, 20 November, lot 256.