De zelfopoffering van predikant Hambroeck op Formosa, 1661 1841

Curator: This is an engraving by Franciscus Bernardus Waanders, completed in 1841, titled "De zelfopoffering van predikant Hambroeck op Formosa, 1661." It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Wow, there's so much to unpack in this intense historical scene. It's quite theatrical, really; I can almost hear the trumpets blaring, but a really somber kind. There’s dread hanging in the air like the smell of gunpowder. Curator: Absolutely. Waanders captures a specific moment laden with complex geopolitical significance. The work depicts the self-sacrifice of Reverend Antonius Hambroek, a Dutch missionary during the Siege of Fort Zeelandia on Formosa, now Taiwan. It represents themes of colonial power, religious zeal, and cultural conflict. Editor: "Self-sacrifice" seems like an understatement. Look at his family! It feels more like he is offering up the lives of everyone near him... for a 'greater good', I guess? A rooster at his feet, his women clinging. He sure cuts a somber, striking figure against what seems like a losing battle. Curator: You touch on the crux of it. The engraving romanticizes Hambroek as a martyr for the Dutch cause and for Christianity. Yet it does not explore the devastating effects on the indigenous peoples of Formosa. We have to remember that this depiction reinforces a narrative of European superiority. Editor: Colonial glorification definitely leaves a sour aftertaste. The composition and romanticist aesthetic create a heroic scene, yet it almost seems darkly satirical knowing its history; like a puppet show with a terrifying moral. What was Waanders really thinking as he rendered it? Curator: That is where the crucial intersection lies. While formally celebrating sacrifice and faith, we also scrutinize its impact within historical contexts and unequal power structures of the Dutch colonial era and lingering colonial mentalities today. Editor: Absolutely. I walk away thinking about the many voiceless figures forever frozen in the shadow of history’s spotlight. It does make one wonder… What does genuine sacrifice actually mean? What does true heroism look like?