You’ll all recall that New York City was originally a colony of New Netherland that was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 as a financial hub in the new world and grew to encompass all of present-day the big apple and parts of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. With Peter Stuyvesant and others at the helm, a highly successful Dutch settlement grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island that was called New Amsterdam.The Dutch make up a tiny percentage of Manhattan residents today (although going “dutch” to dinner with colleagues is still practiced). Joost Swarte, a citizen of the Netherlands, is not only a New Yorker at heart, but a frequent interpreter of the city and its quirks.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris (which was never colonized by the Dutch) you’ll be fortunate to see Swarte’s exhibition at the Gallerie Martel, “New Yorkers,” a delightfully rich visual poem about his second city. It runs from January 19 to March 17 at 17, rue Martel 75010 Paris.
