Verblijf van de regent van Garut, Priangan, West-Java c. 1816 - 1846

This pencil drawing, "Verblijf van de regent van Garut, Priangan, West-Java," was made by Adrianus Johannes Bik. The artwork's reliance on readily available materials – graphite and paper – contrasts with the opulence of the scene itself. The delicate lines and shading create a starkly different picture of wealth, power, and the social structures of colonial Java. Consider the labor involved in producing this image. While seemingly straightforward, pencil drawing demands precision, careful observation, and technical skill. In this context, Bik’s technique reflects the social context in which the artwork was created, during a period of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia. The drawing functions almost like a document of social and political power, filtered through the artist’s own labor. Ultimately, this piece encourages us to consider the artist’s process as a negotiation between the act of making and the broader politics of representation.