Hendrik Johannes Haverman sketched “Drinkende kamelen bij nederzetting” with graphite, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image depicts camels drinking water near a settlement and the artist's choice of subject reflects Europe’s increasing colonial engagement with the Middle East and North Africa at this time. The sketch uses a dry medium, with a plain background. The cultural references, such as the Middle Eastern settlement, the camels and the figures wearing distinct traditional garments create meaning through these recognizable visual codes. Haverman was Dutch, from a nation that had been one of the primary colonizers in Asia, and we can find a certain colonial gaze in this exoticizing image. We can deepen our understanding of “Drinkende kamelen bij nederzetting” by considering Dutch colonial history, its artistic conventions, and Haverman's biography. Art historical research is about connecting artworks to the circumstances in which they are made. It is this rich social and institutional context that gives art its real value.