Huizen in Kupang

Paulus Lauters created this print, ‘Huizen in Kupang’ or ‘Houses in Kupang’, a settlement in West Timor, Indonesia. While the date of the print is unknown, we can consider the historical context which influenced the creation of this landscape, through the lens of Dutch colonialism. In the foreground, we see figures actively engaged in washing and communal tasks along the riverbank. The bathing women represent the often-unacknowledged labor of local women, while the architecture of the houses and the presence of palm trees root the print in a very specific location. Lauters, a white European man, creates a detailed, picturesque scene, yet the point of view is filtered through the politics of colonial power. This work romanticizes the landscape of Kupang. It presents an idyllic image, while obscuring the realities of colonial exploitation and power dynamics. As you reflect on this print, consider how representations of colonized lands often served to justify and perpetuate colonial domination, influencing both historical and contemporary perceptions.