Fruitbomen en kruiden op Java, 1596 1597 - 1646

This is a 1596 engraving titled "Fruit Trees and Herbs in Java" by an anonymous artist, now held in the Rijksmuseum. Created during a period of increasing European exploration and colonization, the print offers a glimpse into the Western perception of exotic lands. The image depicts various trees and herbs native to Java, each carefully labeled. It reflects a desire to categorize and understand the natural world through a European lens. But how might this image have been viewed by the Javanese people themselves? What stories and knowledge about these plants did they possess? The act of naming and depicting is itself an assertion of power. The cultural and historical context of colonialism cannot be ignored when considering images like this. The print invites us to consider the exchange—often unequal—between cultures, and prompts reflection on whose perspectives are privileged in the telling of history. The detailed depictions of the plants stir a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world beyond our own.