Gede, vulkaan op West-Java 1821

Gustave Adolphe Simonau's lithograph depicts the Gede volcano in West Java, capturing a landscape steeped in the complexities of Dutch colonial history. Simonau, as a European artist, presents a view framed by the colonial gaze, where landscapes are both aestheticized and claimed as part of the imperial project. The detailed rendering of the volcano and its surrounding terrain speaks to a desire to map and document the natural resources of the colonized territory, reducing it to a resource for extraction. The emotional dimension of this image is complex. On one hand, there's a romantic allure in the depiction of the majestic volcano, a vision of the "exotic" East. On the other hand, the presence of roads hints at the exploitation and control of the landscape and its people, reflecting the tensions between romanticism and colonial power. This work serves as a reminder of how landscapes are not merely neutral spaces but are deeply intertwined with power, identity, and history.