Batavia. Huizen aan de kali, wasvrouw aan de trap van een huis rechts c. 1921

Editor: This is Willem Witsen's "Batavia. Huizen aan de kali, wasvrouw aan de trap van een huis rechts," created around 1921 using ink on paper. It’s a cityscape, rendered with such precise lines, yet there's something hazy about the whole image. What story do you think this piece is trying to tell? Curator: It's less about a single story and more about the visual politics inherent in representing a colonial space. Consider the title: Batavia, the Dutch colonial name for Jakarta. Witsen, a Dutchman, is depicting a scene from daily life, a "wasvrouw," or laundress, at work. But who is this image really for? What assumptions about the "Orient" are being reinforced or challenged for a European audience? Editor: So, you're saying it's not just a neutral snapshot, but potentially a loaded portrayal? Curator: Exactly. Think about the gaze, the perspective. Whose viewpoint dominates when representing a colonized country? How does Witsen’s artistic background, his social position, influence what and how he chooses to depict Batavia? What is absent from the drawing as much as what is present? Editor: I see. It makes you question the purpose of this cityscape. Was it meant to inform, exoticize, or something else entirely? Curator: Precisely. And understanding those motives is critical in deciphering the layers of meaning embedded within the drawing. By considering its intended audience and its place within broader artistic and colonial narratives, it encourages us to ask important questions about representation. Editor: I never thought about art in such political terms. Thanks for showing how historical context shapes our understanding. Curator: And thanks for being willing to consider beyond just aesthetics. It shows there's always more beneath the surface.