De prauw van de posthouder Possibly 1779

Jan Brandes made this drawing of a postal boat, or 'prouw', with pen, ink, and watercolor on paper, likely during his travels in the Dutch East Indies in the late 18th century. Brandes’ choice of materials speaks volumes. Pen and ink, combined with watercolor washes, were the tools of documentation. The artist meticulously captured the boat's construction, the arrangement of cargo, and even the postures of the figures aboard. You can almost feel the heat and humidity of the Indies, smell the wood, and hear the creak of the ropes. But this wasn't just a disinterested record. Brandes was deeply interested in the labor and trade that sustained Dutch colonial power. The postal boat, with its crew of local workers and its cargo of goods, represents a node in this network. The drawing is not just an aesthetic object, but a document of a specific moment in the history of global exchange, captured with the tools of observation and industry.