Het Kasteel te Batavia 1780

Dirk Langendijk’s drawing depicts Het Kasteel, or Batavia Castle. The Castle, built by the Dutch East India Company, symbolized colonial power in what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. Langendijk, known for his military scenes, offers us a glimpse into the Company’s domain. But, look closer. The Castle looms in the background, while in the foreground, we witness the labor that sustained it: men, presumably local inhabitants, are seen working with timber. They are framed by tools of labor and the harvested materials, caught in the physical act of building and maintaining this colonial outpost. The drawing invites us to consider whose stories are often left out of history. It subtly hints at the exploitation and forced labor that were integral to the Dutch East India Company's operations. By focusing on these anonymous laborers, Langendijk's work prompts us to reflect on the human cost of colonial ambition and the narratives we choose to remember.