Het kasteel te Batavia, gezien vanaf de Houtkrap 1761 - 1779

Hendrik Kobell rendered this drawing, "Het kasteel te Batavia, gezien vanaf de Houtkrap," with pen in grey ink and brush in grey wash. The scene pulsates with activity: workers in the foreground busily chop and stack wood, while boats navigate the waters leading to the imposing castle in the distance. The act of hewing wood carries symbolic weight across cultures, often associated with labor, transformation, and even sacrifice. In ancient myths, woodcutters were seen as figures who shaped the raw material of the world. This scene echoes motifs found in earlier art, where labor was idealized or imbued with moral significance, yet the colonial context casts a shadow. This depiction of labor carries the undercurrent of colonial exploitation. These visual symbols engage viewers on a subconscious level, stirring deep-seated emotions. The non-linear, cyclical progression of this symbol resurfaces, evolving in meaning, colored by the hues of history and power.