The ‘Golden Bend’ in the Herengracht, Amsterdam, Seen from the West

The painting was executed in oil on wood panel in 1672, depicting the Gouden Bocht section of Amsterdam's Herengracht canal as viewed from the west. It measures 40.5 cm by 63 cm and belongs to the cityscape genre within Dutch Golden Age art. The work was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in 1980 after being purchased from an art dealer following its ownership by Jacques Goudstikker between 1933 and 1940.

The painting was created by Gerrit Adriaenszoon Berckheyde in 1672 as an oil on panel cityscape, commissioned by canal mansion owners in Amsterdam's Herengracht to document the prestigious Golden Bend, and has remained in the Rijksmuseum collection since its acquisition in 1980 for 310,000 guilders from Jacques Goudstikker, having previously been owned by the art dealer Jacques Goudstikker between 1933 and 1940.

The work, titled 'The Golden Bend' in the Herengracht, Amsterdam, Seen from the West, is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and was documented in the museum's records as of 2023.

The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, with inventory number SK-A-4750.

It entered the museum’s collection in 1980, purchased from an art dealer, having been acquired between 1933 and 1940 by Jacques Goudstikker. The work remains in the Rijksmuseum’s holdings.

Gerrit Berckheyde’s 1672 oil painting depicts the celebrated curve of the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam, known as the Gouden Bocht. The work presents a panoramic view of the waterway as seen from the west, highlighting the elegant row of 17th‑century houses that line the bend.

During the mid‑17th century Amsterdam experienced rapid expansion, and the Gouden Bocht emerged as the most fashionable address along the Herengracht. Artists such as Berckheyde responded to this urban development by recording the canal’s architecture, reflecting the city’s economic vitality and cultural confidence.