Sailing in the evening on Amsterdam's Herengracht by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Sailing in the evening on Amsterdam's Herengracht"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Herengracht is the second of four Amsterdam canals belonging to the ring of canals and lies between the Singel and the Keizersgracht. The Golden Bend in particular is known for its large and beautiful canal houses.

The Herengracht was created from 1612 on the initiative of mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz. Staets and city land surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck.

Initially, it was a fortified moat (dug in 1585) for the businesses and lineries located behind the Singel. The moat ran within the city wall parallel to the moat outside the city wall. Therefore, Herengracht still shows a kink at the level of Driekoningenstraat; the outer moat had been laid around a stronghold at that height. Widened from ditch to the present canal, the canal was named Herengracht in 1612, after the Lords Rulers of the city of Amsterdam.

The section between Leidsegracht and Binnen Amstel belongs to the post-1658 expansion. This section contains the Golden Bend, the most prestigious part of the Herengracht. Here, many houses were occupied by regents, mayors and merchants, who earned their capital in trade with South America or the Dutch East Indies.

During the last expansion, the section east of the Amstel to the waters of the IJ was built. This last section, located in the then prosperous part of Amsterdam's Jewish quarter, was named Nieuwe Herengracht.