The bridge over the Amstel was a vital connection between the river banks, and connected Vlooienburg to the southern part of the city. This picture shows it a little later in history, around 1660, when Vlooienburg (the tall houses at the back) had expanded significantly.
Like many bridges of the period, it was a wooden construction, but this bridge had an interesting detail that is not present in the model. There is a row of four sculpted lions holding shields, symbol of Amsterdam, that were placed on the railing facing the south, guarding this vital access point to Amsterdam.
It changed face multiple times until it was finally replaced by a stone construction in 1888, which is still in use today.
The earliest references simply call it the "Amstel bridge". But it soon became known under different names such as Blue Bridge and Lions Bridge, after the Lion sculptures used to decorate it. The blue supposedly referred to the blue paint used on the railings, but there are no colour images known that confirm this.
Bloteling, Abraham, Ruysdael, Jacob van, 1664. De Blauwbrug over de Amstel.