Gezicht op de Patenggang meer 1854

Carl Wilhelm Mieling made this image of the Patenggang Lake, in what is now Indonesia, sometime in the mid-19th century. At this time, Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule, a period marked by resource extraction and profound social inequalities. Mieling, as a European artist, was part of this colonial project. It is crucial to consider how his gaze might have been shaped by the power dynamics of the time. What does it mean to represent a landscape when that landscape is also a site of colonial exploitation? The serene depiction of the lake contrasts sharply with the historical realities of colonial Java. While the image presents a seemingly untouched landscape, it obscures the complex social relations and ecological transformations brought about by colonial rule. By focusing on the aesthetic qualities of the scene, Mieling's work participates in a long tradition of landscape art that often overlooks the lived experiences of indigenous populations and their connection to the land. The image invites us to reflect on the act of seeing, and question whose perspectives are privileged in the representation of history.