Batavia
Etching
circa 1680 (printed and published)
circa 1680 (printed and published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This etching is by the Amsterdam publisher, engraver, globe-maker and art dealer, Johannes de Ram. De Ram was best known for his maps and atlases, some of which were based on the maps of other geographers, some of which were drawn by him. Similarly some of his illustrations were informed by the accounts of early European explorers to Asia, Africa and the New World. Each plate in this series shows two figures dressed in the costume of the country illustrated or in some cases in the costume worn by settlers. In the background are accurate topographical views of cities, in most instances showing a port and ships. These images of costumes of various countries would have appealed to the increasingly fashion-conscious public of the eighteenth century and the inclusion of representations of indigenous peoples would have contributed greatly to the interest and popularity of the series.
Dutch ships sailed across the world to the farthest continents. Trade extended to Asia, Africa and the New World. The Dutch East India Company (VOC), which in the coming two centuries would leave its mark on all of Asia, had been established in 1602 for Dutch trade in the Far East. The Company was directed by bodies of experienced businessmen driven purely by profit and not by missionary zeal. The Dutch were slow to develop trading interests in Africa but, following a series of conflicts with Portugal, gained possession of a number of slave depots on the West African coast. The Dutch West India Company was established in 1621 with jurisdiction over the Atlantic slave trade, the Caribbean and North America. The type of commodities traded by these companies included spices, ivory, tobacco, chocolate and ceramics and in slaves to work the tobacco and cocoa plantations.
The image shows a Dutchman in European dress and a Batavian in his native dress. In the background is the fort and settlement of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) established by the Dutch in 1618 showing 'het'kasteel' (the Castle), the government centre of the Dutch East India Company. With the demise of Portuguese authority in the area at the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch were able to establish authority over the Indonesian archipelago with its base at Batavia.
Dutch ships sailed across the world to the farthest continents. Trade extended to Asia, Africa and the New World. The Dutch East India Company (VOC), which in the coming two centuries would leave its mark on all of Asia, had been established in 1602 for Dutch trade in the Far East. The Company was directed by bodies of experienced businessmen driven purely by profit and not by missionary zeal. The Dutch were slow to develop trading interests in Africa but, following a series of conflicts with Portugal, gained possession of a number of slave depots on the West African coast. The Dutch West India Company was established in 1621 with jurisdiction over the Atlantic slave trade, the Caribbean and North America. The type of commodities traded by these companies included spices, ivory, tobacco, chocolate and ceramics and in slaves to work the tobacco and cocoa plantations.
The image shows a Dutchman in European dress and a Batavian in his native dress. In the background is the fort and settlement of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) established by the Dutch in 1618 showing 'het'kasteel' (the Castle), the government centre of the Dutch East India Company. With the demise of Portuguese authority in the area at the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch were able to establish authority over the Indonesian archipelago with its base at Batavia.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Batavia (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Etching on laid paper |
| Brief description | Batavia; plate from 'Costumes of Various Countries' by Johannes de Ram; etching; circa 1680 |
| Physical description | Etching |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | People and Ports
These prints are from a set illustrating the dress worn in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world where Europeans traded. They show people in local clothing, often fanciful, with a port or harbour in the distance. The locations include trading stations in Africa, Asia and the Americas that were under the control of the Dutch, British, French, Spanish and Portuguese, the five major European colonial powers.
Illustrations of the Dress of Different Countries
About 1680
Dutch Republic, now the Netherlands (Amsterdam)
By Johannes de Ram
Etching
Museum no. 25001:2 to
3, 14, 17, 19, 21
Amsterdam
The great city port of Amsterdam was the global
headquarters of the Dutch companies trading
with the Americas and Asia. Their trade in raw
materials, finished goods and enslaved people
was the source of much of the Republic’s wealth.
New Amsterdam
Dutch settlers are shown with tulips and
tobacco leaves in front of the skyline of New
Amsterdam. Now New York, this was the capital
of the Dutch colony until it was lost to the
English in 1665.
Batavia
The Indonesian port of Batavia, present-day
Jakarta, was a major trading station where
spices, raw materials and manufactured goods
from all over Asia were exchanged. It was one of
the most important territories held by the Dutch
East India Company.
Boa Vista
Boa Vista is an island off the West African coast
that was used by slave traders. Here an African
man sells ivory tusks and shackled Africans
to a European.
Havana
The Caribbean island of Cuba was of great
strategic importance for the Spanish
colonisation of the Americas. Here a man
presents a branch bearing fruit to a well-dressed
woman (both probably Spanish). The port of
Havana lies in the distance.
Canton
Canton was the European name for the Chinese
port of Guangzhou. It became one of the most
important trading stations for the European East
India companies dealing in tea, silks, porcelain
and other Chinese goods.(09.12.2015) |
| Summary | This etching is by the Amsterdam publisher, engraver, globe-maker and art dealer, Johannes de Ram. De Ram was best known for his maps and atlases, some of which were based on the maps of other geographers, some of which were drawn by him. Similarly some of his illustrations were informed by the accounts of early European explorers to Asia, Africa and the New World. Each plate in this series shows two figures dressed in the costume of the country illustrated or in some cases in the costume worn by settlers. In the background are accurate topographical views of cities, in most instances showing a port and ships. These images of costumes of various countries would have appealed to the increasingly fashion-conscious public of the eighteenth century and the inclusion of representations of indigenous peoples would have contributed greatly to the interest and popularity of the series. Dutch ships sailed across the world to the farthest continents. Trade extended to Asia, Africa and the New World. The Dutch East India Company (VOC), which in the coming two centuries would leave its mark on all of Asia, had been established in 1602 for Dutch trade in the Far East. The Company was directed by bodies of experienced businessmen driven purely by profit and not by missionary zeal. The Dutch were slow to develop trading interests in Africa but, following a series of conflicts with Portugal, gained possession of a number of slave depots on the West African coast. The Dutch West India Company was established in 1621 with jurisdiction over the Atlantic slave trade, the Caribbean and North America. The type of commodities traded by these companies included spices, ivory, tobacco, chocolate and ceramics and in slaves to work the tobacco and cocoa plantations. The image shows a Dutchman in European dress and a Batavian in his native dress. In the background is the fort and settlement of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) established by the Dutch in 1618 showing 'het'kasteel' (the Castle), the government centre of the Dutch East India Company. With the demise of Portuguese authority in the area at the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch were able to establish authority over the Indonesian archipelago with its base at Batavia. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 25001:17 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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