Towards the end of the nineteenth century the economy experienced an upswing. The result was more people and more traffic. As there was no throughway between the Damrak and the Rokin the centre of Amsterdam became practically inaccessible. The filling-in of the Rozengracht and the Warmoesgracht, together with the demolition of houses between the Keizersgracht and the Singel, solved this problem. After a decade of demolishing and building works, the Raadhuisstraat could be put into use in 1896. Breitner’s portrayal of the building activities marks a shift in perspective in looking at the city. The construction site, the barely recognizable surroundings and the people are all rendered in impressionistic brushwork and lighting. Breitner painted construction activities on the Raadhuisstraat on several occasions, working from the photos he had taken himself.