Vlerkprauwen op het strand bij Ampenan, Lombok Possibly 1911 - 1922

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this etching of wing boats on a beach in Lombok, Indonesia. Nieuwenkamp’s image of these boats invites us to consider the visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations that shape its meaning. Made by a Dutch artist, the image reflects the long history of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. Nieuwenkamp traveled extensively in the Dutch East Indies in the early 20th century. During this period, the Dutch colonial government exerted considerable influence over the region’s economic structures. Nieuwenkamp documented the indigenous watercraft he saw and was concerned with their future in the face of modernization. The image is not overtly political. Yet, as art historians, we can consider how it challenges existing social norms through the romanticization of Indonesian culture. Research into Dutch colonial history, along with a close reading of Nieuwenkamp’s diaries, might further illuminate the meaning of this image as a historical artifact.