Gezicht op het Engelse fort en het Fort Oranje in Sekondi vanuit het Zuidwesten 1748

Frans de Bakker made this print of the English fort and the Dutch Fort Oranje in Sekondi, Ghana. The image shows more than just buildings; it depicts a complex moment in the history of European colonialism in West Africa. Notice how the print emphasizes the presence of the Dutch and English through their flags. In the 17th and 18th centuries, control over coastal territories in Africa was crucial for European powers. These forts were not just military outposts but also trading centers, deeply involved in the transatlantic slave trade. The visual codes here are subtle: the flags signal power and dominance, yet the landscape itself—the land and its people—are rendered as passive backdrops. Understanding this image requires historical research into the records of the Dutch West India Company and the English Royal African Company. These institutions shaped not only the art but also the grim realities of life in Sekondi at the time. The artwork then becomes a lens through which we can examine the economics and politics of empire.