Kop van Garoeda before 1942

Reijer Stolk made this pen drawing, titled Kop van Garoeda, the head of a Garuda, sometime before his death in 1945. Stolk’s image immediately evokes the cultural context of Indonesia, where the Garuda holds special significance. It is a mythical bird-like creature that has become a national symbol, used to represent power, strength and dignity. Its image is everywhere in Indonesian society, from its coat of arms, Garuda Pancasila, to public monuments. As with any cultural icon, its appropriation into art begs the question of purpose. Is it a commentary on Indonesian culture, a symbol of resistance, or something else entirely? By researching Stolk’s life and the history of the Garuda in Indonesian art, we can better understand the image's role within Indonesia's cultural landscape, and the history of Dutch-Indonesian relations. What can the Garuda tell us about art's role in shaping cultural identity?