Gezicht op de renbaan in Medan before 1898

Carl J. Kleingrothe made this print of the racetrack in Medan, Sumatra at the height of Dutch colonial rule in the region. The image appears to be a straightforward depiction of leisure, but it’s important to consider what this kind of scene would have meant in that time and place. The Dutch presence in Sumatra was primarily economic, focused on resource extraction and agricultural production. Institutions like this racecourse would have been a locus of social life for the colonial elite and would have served as a very visible symbol of their power, wealth, and racial identity. The whiteness throughout the picture is striking: the buildings, the clothing of nearly all the figures, and the flag flying over the course. It's useful to consider who isn't pictured here. The absence of the Indonesian population speaks volumes about the strict social hierarchy of the period. By considering these questions, we can begin to understand the politics of this imagery. Historians can use archives, newspapers, photographs, and other primary source materials to better understand the full picture. Art, like this, can reveal the complex interplay of social, cultural, and economic forces that shaped the colonial world.