Birds from Ambon Possibly 1784

Jan Brandes created this watercolor of Birds from Ambon in 1784. It depicts several species of birds native to Ambon Island in Indonesia. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references that can only be understood by considering the context of its production. Brandes was a prominent figure in the Dutch East India Company, an institution whose mission was to maintain a Dutch trade monopoly between the Dutch Republic and Asia. This image appears to be a page from a personal journal kept by Brandes which is now an important resource for colonial history. The study of artists’ journals, colonial archives, and specimens found in natural history museums can help us to further understand the legacy of colonialism. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.