Vulkaan Gede te West-Java 1854

"Vulkaan Gede te West-Java" (1854), by Carl Wilhelm Mieling, is a hand-colored lithograph depicting the active volcano Mount Gede in West Java, Indonesia. This work, now in the Rijksmuseum, showcases the artist's interest in documenting exotic landscapes and cultures during the colonial era. It presents a detailed view of the volcano, with plumes of smoke emanating from its crater, set against a backdrop of lush vegetation and the distant sky. The depiction of indigenous figures and simple dwellings further emphasizes the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Indonesian archipelago, highlighting the colonial fascination with the East.