Jan van der Heyden: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal with Oude Haarlemmersluis (s.d.)/ A fire raging between Elandsstraat and Elandsgracht (1679)

Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712) was a multitalented man. Not only was he one of the leading architectural painters of his generation, he was also an engineer: he invented the high-pressure fire hose in 1673. His fire engine pumped water out of the canals, which was a major improvement over the bucket brigades that had been employed to extinguish city fires up till then. To sell his life-saving creation, he printed his own advertisements, explaining the advantages. Another contribution to urban life was the introduction of street lighting in his residence Amsterdam. He convinced the municipality to place almost two thousand of his mass produced lamps, making Amsterdam the first European city to enjoy street lighting. His lamps also found their way to Germany and Japan.
His architectural paintings were very popular, in the Netherlands as well as abroad. They were praised for their delicate portrayal of the inner city and the meticulous linear perspective. His cityscapes, though executed with precision, were usually not topographically correct: he added and deleted elements to his taste. The painting shown here, depicting the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal near the Martelaarsgracht in Amsterdam, is a good example of this. You will have problems recognizing the site today, not only because in the meantime, both canals have been filled, but also because the beautiful red brick houses on the left are not situated there, but rather on Herengracht 170-172. Together they are known as the Bartolotti House, one of the highlights of Dutch baroque architect Hendrick de Keyser. They were added to the canvas by Van der Heyden to make it more attractive.