Tribunaal in Perzië; Khoikhoi en Guineërs 1682 - 1733

This print by Romeyn de Hooghe, titled "Tribunaal in Perzië; Khoikhoi en Guineërs", was made in the Netherlands during the late 17th Century. This was a period when the Dutch Republic was a major power in global trade, including the trade of enslaved peoples. The print presents two distinct scenes, a court scene in Persia, juxtaposed with Khoikhoi and Guineans in a landscape. In the Persian court scene, figures kneel before a ruler. On the right we see the representation of Africans. The Khoikhoi were indigenous people from Southwestern Africa. The Guineans came from the West African coast. The depiction of the African figures within a constructed landscape should be considered in the context of the Dutch colonial expansion. How did De Hooghe imagine these people? Through this print, De Hooghe invites the viewer to contemplate the vastness of the Dutch global presence, yet it also invites questions about power, exploitation, and the human cost of empire.