De Oost-Indische eilanden

This print of the East Indies was made by Dirk Noothoven van Goor in the Netherlands at an unknown date. The artwork presents a series of images and text related to the Dutch East Indies, what is now Indonesia, likely intended for educational purposes. The print is a product of Dutch colonialism. During this period, the Dutch East India Company exerted significant economic and political control over the archipelago, exploiting its resources and people. Notice how the map emphasizes the region’s geography, marking it as a territory to be charted and controlled. This imagery, while seemingly benign, served to legitimize Dutch claims and influence in the region. To fully understand this print, we can look into archival sources from the Dutch East India Company. What can the document reveal about the relationship between the colonizers and the colonized?