Coxinga 1893 - 1895

This drawing of Coxinga was made by Johan Huizinga, a Dutch historian with a keen interest in culture. The image creates meaning through the visual codes it presents. Note the hat, beard, and fan, which mark this figure as being from a specific time and place. Coxinga was a Ming Dynasty loyalist who resisted the Qing Dynasty's conquest of China in the 17th century. He is remembered in Chinese and Japanese folklore as a key historical figure. The image draws from both of these traditions to establish a kind of character type. Huizinga was writing at a time when Dutch intellectuals and institutions were very interested in Asia, particularly its history and culture. He was, in a sense, participating in a global conversation. A historian of culture could explore these interests further by consulting publications, correspondence, and museum collections from the period. Ultimately, we can understand a work like this as contingent on social context.