Portret van Cornelis van der Lijn, gouverneur-generaal van Nederlands-Indië 1709 - 1726

Dirk Jongman made this portrait engraving of Cornelis van der Lijn, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, sometime around the early 18th century. The Dutch East India Company, or VOC, was at the height of its power then, and this portrait reflects the visual codes of authority and prestige demanded by the institution. Van der Lijn is depicted with all the accoutrements of power: fine clothing, a wide sash, and a coat of arms that proclaims his noble status. Beyond him we see an imagined landscape, a reminder of the exotic locales he governed on behalf of the Dutch. The VOC was the first multinational corporation, and its visual propaganda was very powerful. To understand images like this, we can turn to the archives of the VOC itself, along with those of the Dutch government. We see that the meaning of this image is tied to the history of colonialism and early capitalism. Without understanding this context, the portrait is just another face from the past.