Aankomst op Borneo, 1600 1601 - 1646

This is Baptista van Doetechum’s etching, made around 1600, depicting the arrival at Borneo. The central symbol here is the ship, a vessel laden with cultural and commercial significance, representing not just physical transport but also the transmission of ideas. Observe how this ship is surrounded by smaller native boats. The ship becomes a potent symbol of cultural exchange and potential dominance. The ship is not merely a tool for exploration or trade, but a vehicle for imposing foreign values and systems, much like the recurring motif of triumphant processions in Roman art. Consider, too, the emotional undercurrents: the anticipation, the trepidation, the desire for the exotic. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, ships carry with them the potential for both enlightenment and corruption, embodying humanity's complex relationship with the unknown. The image speaks to our collective memory of encounters between different worlds, a recurring drama in the theater of history.