Gezicht op fort Duurstede in Saparua 1843 - 1845

Paulus Lauters created this print of Fort Duurstede in Saparua. The print opens up a window onto the complex relationship between the Dutch colonial presence and the local population in the 19th-century Moluccas. The Dutch flag flies prominently above the fort, a symbol of colonial power. In the foreground, however, we see local figures who seem to exist outside the realm of colonial influence. They are rendered passively. Consider the power dynamics at play here; the colonizers and the colonized. This image invites us to reflect on the legacy of colonialism and its lasting impact on cultural identity. It speaks to the human cost of empire.