Architecture has also been used to divide the scene into different areas, which interact with the light to produce visual effects that add both beauty and meaning to the picture.
Inside the shadowy courtyard, well-dressed people indulge in what could be shady activities, taking advantage of this private space to play music and flirt with each other.
One man stands apart, framed in the archway to the street and canal outside.
He seems to be mesmerised by the sight of the elegant new world that the recently established Dutch Republic was building.
It's a cityscape so drenched in sunlight that you might almost believe that the streets were paved with gold.
