Het huis van Patty 1779 - 1785

Jan Brandes created this pencil drawing of ‘Het huis van Patty’ sometime between 1763 and 1808. This image of a colonial residence in Batavia, now Jakarta, encapsulates much of the complex social history of the Dutch East Indies. The grand, European-style architecture, complete with manicured gardens and gated entrance, speaks to the Dutch colonial project of imposing its cultural norms on the Indonesian landscape. The drawing gives us insight into the rigid social hierarchies of the time. The architectural style of the house, the fence, the guards and the mountains in the background all signal wealth and power. Who was Patty, and how did they acquire the wealth to build such a residence? To fully understand an image like this, historians consult archival documents: trade records, personal letters, and official government reports. It is by understanding these sources that we are better equipped to understand the role of art as a reflection of its own historical moment.