Papegaai c. 1890

This is Carel Adolph Lion Cachet’s sketch, titled ‘Papegaai,’ currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Lion Cachet, born in the Dutch East Indies, grew up amidst a colonial society marked by strict racial and social hierarchies. The sketch, seemingly simple, hints at the complex relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. The parrot, or ‘Papegaai’ in Dutch, could be seen as a symbol of mimicry and exoticism, reflecting how colonial powers often viewed and misrepresented the cultures they encountered. What does it mean to capture a parrot in this way? Is it an attempt to contain or understand the exotic? Consider the artist's background in the Dutch East Indies, and how his personal experiences might inform his artistic choices. This sketch invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in colonial encounters and the ways in which they shape our perceptions.