Two women 1662

Esaias Boursse made this drawing of two women using graphite. The women are depicted in what was then the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. Boursse worked for the Dutch East India company, and this drawing likely comes from his time there. The drawing offers insights into the social dynamics of the Dutch colonial presence. Note the clothing and adornments of the women. How do they reflect local customs and traditions? Also consider how the artist, as a representative of the Dutch East India Company, might have interpreted and portrayed these individuals. Was his gaze objective, or did it carry the biases of a colonial observer? Further research into the Dutch East India Company's records, travel logs, and ethnographic studies of the time could reveal valuable information about the cultural exchange and power dynamics at play in Boursse's work.