Het landgoed van Brandes bij Batavia 1787 - 1808

This pencil drawing of the Brandes Estate near Batavia was made by Jan Brandes sometime in the late 18th century. Pencil itself is a fascinating material; a mix of graphite, clay, and wax, capable of capturing intricate details and subtle tonal variations. In this work, Brandes has used the pencil to sketch the architectural layout of the estate, complete with linear perspective. The thin lines create an almost ghostly image, that gives us insight into Brandes' world in colonial Indonesia. However, look closely and you’ll notice the human figures, including what seems to be enslaved individuals, placed at service to the estate. It makes you wonder how the material affluence on display here was made possible in the first place. It is important to remember that images like this are never neutral; they always entail complex relationships of labour, politics, and consumption.