Pieter Merkus (1787-1844). Gouverneur-generaal (1841-44) 1844 - 1851

Jan Willem Pieneman painted this portrait of Pieter Merkus, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, in the 1840s using oil on canvas. This is history painting as official portraiture, intended to convey authority. The fine weave of the canvas is completely obscured by the smooth, enameled surface of the paint. Pieneman’s technique allows for a high level of detail, particularly in the rendering of Merkus’s elaborate coat, complete with gold embroidery. The sheen of the fabric and the whiteness of the fur trim are captured with great precision. But let’s consider what this finery signifies. It speaks to the wealth extracted from the colony under Merkus’s control. The labor of countless unseen people is represented here, flattened into a symbol of power and status. Thinking about the painting in this way allows us to consider the relationship between artistic skill, the representation of power, and the wider social context of colonialism.