Gezicht op Fort Dixcove, vanuit het Zuiden 1748

Frans de Bakker made this print, titled ‘View of Fort Dixcove from the South’, using etching. Dixcove, now in Ghana, was the site of a British fort used for the transatlantic slave trade. This image shows a coastal landscape dominated by the imposing structure of the fort, a symbol of European power and commerce. Think about this depiction of Dixcove in relation to the identities and histories of those involved in the slave trade. The artist, likely European, profits from the commerce of the image, while enslaved Africans and their descendants are nowhere to be seen. This absence is haunting and raises questions about whose perspectives are valued and whose are erased. The print serves as a stark reminder of the intertwined legacies of colonialism, slavery, and representation. The serene landscape belies the violence and exploitation that underpinned the fort’s existence, prompting reflection on the complexities of historical memory and representation.