Huquier

Vue de l'Isle et de la Ville de Batavia appartenant aux Hollandois pour la Compagnie des Indies

16.5 x 10.5 inches

Etching with original hand colour produced by Huquier and published in Paris circa 1780.

This fascinating panoramic view of Batavia depicts the settlement that was first established by the Dutch in 1619. By the time of this engraving at the end of the C18th Batavia had become a major trading port and the base for the Dutch East India Company and their operations in Asia. The port lies on the northern coast of Java in Indonesia and has since become known as Jakarta, the largest city and capital of Indonesia.

If we were ever in any doubt as to the wealth and power accumulated by East India Companies, we need look no farther than the infrastructure built in this remote Dutch colony. A sophisticated system of canals and quays leads into the town with market gardens and plantations beyond. Spices grown in these fields would have been transported back to the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and London.

This print is engraved with strong lines of perspective and the mirror writing at the top indicates that it was published as a Vue d'Optique (or optical view) designed to be seen through the perspective of a lens.