['A Market Stall in Batavia', 'East Indian Market Stall in Batavia']

This painting, *A Market Stall in Batavia*, was made by Andries Beeckman with oil on canvas. The artist has carefully rendered the scene, paying close attention to the textures of the goods on display: pineapples, bananas, coconuts, and other exotic fruits. These materials would have been cultivated, harvested and transported by local labor under Dutch colonial rule. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the artist emphasizes the weight and volume of the produce, arranged in a cornucopia of shapes and colors. The labor involved in their production is not shown, but it is present nonetheless, embedded in the very substance of these commodities. Even the parrot perched above the scene is a kind of material, extracted from its natural environment for the pleasure of European collectors. By considering the making and unmaking of this scene, the growing and selling of it all, we can see how seemingly simple images can reveal complex stories about labor, trade, and cultural exchange.