Portrait of Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies 1750 - 1800

This portrait, depicting Hendrik Brouwer, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, was made anonymously, probably in the Netherlands, sometime in the 17th century. It offers a glimpse into the visual culture surrounding the Dutch colonial project. Hendrik Brouwer's stern gaze and confident posture, hand on hip, convey authority and power. He holds a baton, a symbol of his leadership role. Note the prominent display of his title, "Gouverneur Generael van India," underscoring the importance of his position within the Dutch East India Company, a powerful economic institution of the time. This image would have served to legitimize his rule and project an image of Dutch dominance. To fully understand this portrait, we can consult historical documents from the Dutch East India Company, travel journals, and accounts from the period, which would contextualize the power dynamics represented in the portrait, and give us a fuller picture of Brouwer's role in the colonial project.