Gezicht op de plantage Surimonbo te Suriname 1708

Dirk Valkenburg created this drawing of the Surimonbo plantation in Suriname. As a Dutch artist who traveled to Suriname, Valkenburg was part of a colonial system that greatly impacted the lives and identities of those living there. This work provides a glimpse into the landscape of the plantation. Yet, it also stands as a visual record of the brutal system of slavery that defined this landscape. We can see it as a reflection of the complex relationship between the colonizers and the colonized, and how the identities of both groups were shaped by this relationship. While Valkenburg's intentions may not have been to critique colonialism, this image today invites us to consider the lives of the enslaved people who worked the land and whose stories are often missing from historical records. It is a poignant reminder of the human cost of colonialism and the importance of remembering the past.