Javaans dorp (hoofdnegorij) met rechts een Europees huis met vlag, halfstok, West-Java c. 1816 - 1846

This pencil drawing of a Javanese village, with a European house to the right, was made by Adrianus Johannes Bik. The image subtly portrays the social realities of colonial Java. We see a contrast between the indigenous village and the imposing European house, a symbol of Dutch authority. Note the flag flying at half-mast, perhaps indicating a recent event that affected the colonial community. Bik was employed by the Dutch East India Company. His art provides a window into the colonial administration and its relationship with the local population. Consider the power dynamics inherent in such a setting, and how this landscape might have been perceived differently by Dutch colonizers versus the Javanese villagers. Historical archives, company records, and personal accounts from this period can help us to better understand the complex interplay between colonizer and colonized. Ultimately, this image serves as a reminder that art is always created within a specific social and institutional context.