Verzeilen van het schip Prins Willem, 1781 1781 - 1795

Jacobus Buys created this evocative pen and gray ink drawing titled, "Verzeilen van het schip Prins Willem" in 1781. Buys produced this piece during a period marked by significant maritime activity and colonial expansion of the Dutch. This work offers a glimpse into the era's naval power, and, though not directly depicted, hints at the complex economic systems dependent on slave labor. The very structure of maritime trade was deeply intertwined with the exploitation of enslaved people, who were often transported on ships like the Prins Willem. Notice the dramatic tilt of the ship, which evokes a sense of vulnerability amidst the vastness of the sea. A question arises of the ship's interaction with the ocean and its representation as a space of both freedom and danger. This artwork offers a window into understanding the historical context of Dutch maritime history and its relationship to the global systems of trade and labor of the 18th century.