Ontvangst op de Hoornse eilanden, 1616 1617 - 1646

This anonymous etching, entitled 'Reception on the Hoorn Islands, 1616,' presents a scene laden with the visual codes of its time, in the Netherlands. The print depicts a Dutch ship arriving at what is now known as Futuna Island, part of the Wallis and Futuna territory. We see the Dutch being greeted by the islanders. Note how the Dutch are fully clothed and have weapons, whereas the Futunans are unclothed. It’s interesting to consider the context in which this was made. This image reflects the Dutch Republic’s burgeoning colonial ambitions in the 17th century. The scene is carefully constructed to communicate power dynamics, with a clear emphasis on the civilizing mission of the colonizers versus the supposed backwardness of the colonized. It is worth reflecting on the role institutions like the Dutch East India Company and the visual culture they propagated played in shaping perceptions of non-European societies. To get a richer sense of that history, one could examine the archives of the Dutch East India Company or scholarly studies of colonialism and representation.