Intocht van de winnaars 1844 - 1888

Willem de Famars Testas made this print titled 'Intocht van de winnaars', or ‘The Entry of the Winners’, using etching techniques. Born in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, Famars Testas was a colonial artist who often depicted scenes of life in the colonies. In this print, we see a festive scene of celebration, perhaps a sporting victory, with riders on horseback greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. It’s interesting to consider who exactly is being celebrated here, and who is doing the celebrating. The riders appear to be of European descent, while the crowd seems to be a mix of people, some of whom may be local inhabitants. The image subtly reflects the social hierarchy of the colonial context, where European achievements were often valorized and celebrated, sometimes at the expense of the local population. There’s an emotional complexity to this seemingly celebratory image. It’s a scene of joy, but it also hints at underlying power dynamics and social divisions of the time.