Javanen en een koopman te Bantam, 1596 1597 - 1646

This 1596 engraving, by an anonymous artist, depicts Javanese people with a European merchant in Bantam. The printmaking process itself – a method of reproduction – is key to understanding its function. Consider the labor involved: the engraver meticulously carves lines into a metal plate, a skilled craft demanding precision. Ink is then applied, and the image transferred to paper through immense pressure. This process, born of the printing revolution, enabled the mass dissemination of images and ideas. The sharp lines and stark contrasts of the engraving create a scene designed to inform and perhaps titillate a European audience. But it's also a commentary on early global capitalism. The merchant, rendered in a different style, is an interloper in this world, a harbinger of trade and colonial exchange. Ultimately, this print underscores how even seemingly simple images are products of complex social and economic forces, blurring the boundaries between art, craft, and the machinery of global commerce.