Schatzoekers van Muiden, 1800 1800

This engraving, entitled *Schatzoekers van Muiden*, or *Treasure Seekers of Muiden*, was created anonymously in 1800. It satirizes a very specific context in Dutch society at the turn of the 19th century. The procession depicted here is heading towards the goldmine three-quarters of an hour from Muiden, as the Dutch text proclaims. This likely refers to the economic exploitation of the Dutch East Indies, a key source of wealth for the Netherlands at the time. The figures, with their disparate array of tools and symbols - from a cross to shovels and lanterns - represent various factions vying for access to this colonial wealth. The satire critiques the social dynamics of the Dutch colonial project. By reducing it to a treasure hunt, the artist exposes the greed and self-interest driving this exploitation. We can research the economic policies of the Dutch East India Company to better understand this image, using institutional archives and contemporary accounts of Dutch society. It serves as a reminder that art is always made in a specific social and institutional context.