Het fort op Ambon, 1607 1644 - 1646

This is an anonymous print from 1607 depicting the fort on Ambon, now part of Indonesia. It’s a bird's-eye view, probably made by a Dutch artist, showing a fortified trading post. The image reveals much about the early days of Dutch colonialism. Ambon was a key location for the Dutch East India Company, or VOC, due to its spice production, particularly cloves. The fort itself visually asserts Dutch power, a European structure imposed on a landscape to control resources and trade. Note the strategic layout, designed for defense and surveillance, reflecting the VOC's military and economic ambitions. The print served as both documentation and propaganda, communicating the company's reach and control to investors back in the Netherlands. To understand this image fully, it’s essential to consult VOC archives, travelogues, and accounts from the period. These sources reveal the human cost of this expansion. The image offers a glimpse into the complex interplay of trade, power, and cultural exchange that shaped the early modern world.