Gezicht op de Sambas rivier op Borneo 1843 - 1845

J. G. van der Does created this watercolor depiction of the Sambas River in Borneo. This vista offers a glimpse into the colonial gaze that shaped the 19th-century European understanding of Southeast Asia. Borneo, now divided between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, was a site of Dutch colonial activity. The watercolor aesthetic softens what was, in reality, a violent encounter marked by resource extraction and cultural disruption. The inclusion of the ship subtly underscores themes of exploration and dominion, encapsulating the intertwined narratives of trade, power, and exoticism that fueled the colonial project. What do you think about the relationship between the quest for knowledge and the exercise of power? The artist invites us to consider the emotional weight of history and our own positions within it.