1811 / De Hollandse vlag blijft waaien op Desima 1893 - 1895

Johan Huizinga made this drawing, titled "1811/The Dutch flag continues to fly on Desima," using pencil, likely during the early 20th century. Huizinga's delicate lines capture a moment in 1811 on the artificial island of Deshima in Nagasaki, Japan. Here, the Dutch flag waves defiantly. Deshima was a trading post and, for a time, the sole gateway between Japan and the West. The drawing reveals the complex power dynamics at play. A Dutchman, pipe in hand, gestures expansively, seemingly oblivious to the Japanese figure working beside him. What does it mean to draw a Dutchman as large and centered, contrasted against the quiet, smaller figure of the Japanese man? This image is imbued with colonial undertones and touches on the intersection of race, power, and cultural exchange during that time.