Zeilschip aan de kust van Sumatra 1843 - 1845

Paulus Lauters made this print of a sailing ship off the coast of Sumatra in the 19th century. The Dutch presence in Indonesia began with the establishment of a trading post in the early 17th century, slowly developing into the Dutch East Indies colony. This image seems fairly innocuous, but we might consider the role of art in creating a sense of ownership over a place. How did Dutch artists portray their colonial possessions, and what were the politics of that representation? How does this image contribute to a Western view of the East? Was it intended as a scientific record or a picturesque souvenir for colonisers? Understanding the cultural context in which this image was made requires looking into archives, travel journals, and other historical sources that can tell us more about how the Dutch represented their colonial project.