Coolen opent de voorraadschuur met rijst om de kleine man te helpen, ca. 1820-1850

This drawing, made between 1820 and 1850 by an anonymous artist, is rendered in graphite on paper. Graphite, essentially processed carbon, is a humble material, and its use here speaks to a documentary impulse, rather than a fine art aesthetic. The scene depicts a colonial official distributing rice, a raw material grown through intense agricultural labor. The act is ostensibly benevolent— ‘helping the little man’ as the title states - but it also highlights power dynamics inherent in the colonial system. We see the architecture of the local buildings and landscape alongside figures on horseback. The artist skillfully uses graphite to capture details of the rice distribution, but also implying labor, politics, and consumption. The choice of graphite emphasizes the drawing's role as a record of social and economic exchange, prompting us to consider the complex relationship between art, labor, and colonial power.