Depicted amid a landscape with ruins are Bruges’ seven most famous buildings: the septem admirationes civitatis brvgensis (or the seven wonders of Bruges) as can also be read on the banderole at the top of the painting. At the front, in the middle, is the Waterhalle, which was demolished in 1787. To its left, the Church of Our Lady boasts the Paradise Portal. It is mirrored by the Belfry on the right-hand side. In the second row, we see the house with seven turrets, the only non-public building in this painting. This building is flanked on the left by the Poortersloge (Burgher’s Lodge) and on the right by the Oosterlingen House. On the left, in the foreground, a horse drives the water pump of the Waterhuys, which supplies the city with water via a system of water mains. In 1567, Ludovico Giucciardini described the ideal city, which should have, at a minimum, a good water supply (Waterhuys), a place for the transfer of goods (Waterhalle), facilities for (international) merchants (Oosterlingen House and the Poortersloge). It is not certain whether Giucciardini’s text formed the basis for this painting, but this concept does explain why the painting is not a geographically accurate representation of the City of Bruges. Indeed, the main aim was to emphasize what a good city Bruges was to live, trade and spend time in.

MASTERPIECE

The grandly portrayed landmarks command attention. The ruins and the small figures moving between the monumental buildings have so far received little attention, but it is precisely these elements that add depth to the artwork. It is possible that the ruins are a reference to Rome. A well-known 12th-century travel guide, the Mirabilia urbis Romae, describes ancient buildings that are mostly dilapidated. The author describes how, despite their state, these buildings reveal the grandeur of the past. In this painting it is reversed. The seven landmarks are shown in all their splendour, while the dilapidated buildings may be a reference to the economic recession of the 16th century. In the foreground, in front of the Waterhalle, lots of people are gathered around four charlatans and stupidly allow themselves to be seduced by their misleading chat. This is in stark contrast to the Hermit at the very front, on the island, who is isolating himself from the rest. Is the artist or the commissioner trying to tell us something? Is he putting his finger on the problem? Do the good people of Bruges only have their stupidity to blame for the recession?