Wandering around the city, along the quaysides and the docks, Viktor IV would fish old beams and planks of wood out of the water and drag them back to his boat. There the driftwood would take on a new life as the basis for his ‘Icons’. He depicted his beloved Amsterdam on four hatch covers on which he painted bird’s-eye views of the city’s main canals. This panel shows the Prinsengracht canal, with reference to real bridges and streets.