Westindische Jager 1835 - 1850

This watercolor and gouache painting shows a West Indies rifleman and was made by Albertus Verhoesen in the Netherlands. The work presents a Jager, or light infantryman, of the Dutch colonial army, likely produced during the period when the Netherlands maintained colonies in the West Indies. This image embodies the military and colonial ambitions of the Netherlands in the 19th century. The figure is depicted in full military dress, complete with rifle and sword, representing the visual codes of power and control. The "Westindische Jager" were soldiers deployed to maintain order and suppress resistance in the colonies, highlighting the complex and often brutal relationship between colonizer and colonized. To better understand this painting, we might consult military records, colonial archives, and other historical documents to shed light on both the artist's motivations and the broader context of Dutch colonialism and the role of the military in maintaining it. The meaning of art changes as the world around it shifts, and that's why historical context is so important.