Schoener 1843 - 1845

This is Hendrik Abraham Klinkhamer's sketch of a "Schoener" sailboat. Klinkhamer was working in the Netherlands during the height of the colonial era. At this time, the Dutch controlled vast areas of Indonesia, and ships such as this one would have been crucial for maintaining colonial power. The ship represents a nexus of Dutch identity: as a maritime power, the Netherlands relied on ships like this one for trade, exploration, and warfare. But we must also remember the human costs of this history. These ships transported enslaved people, extracted resources from colonized lands, and enforced unequal power dynamics. The legacy of this history continues to affect contemporary social justice and equality issues around the world. The image is a reminder to reflect on the complex relationship between national pride, technological advancement, and the ethics of colonialism.