Fortress Somba Opu, Makassar 1724 - 1726

Francois Valentijn

€ 350

Inter-Antiquariaat Mefferdt & De Jonge

• About the artwork
  VIEW OF SOMBA OPU, DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY TRADING POST “Samboepo in plattegrond” copper engraving from François Valentijn’s “Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indien”, made by Jan van Braam and published in Dordrecht by Gerard onder de Linden in 1724-1726. Coloured by a later hand.  Size.: 36,1 x 27,4 cm. Fortress Somba Opu was the commercial capital of Makassar (Sulawesi, Indonesia). In the 1630s, kings and nobles established their residence in Somba Opu, staying in a house built on thick pillars. A number of detached houses were located in rear (east) and northern side of the fort. They were grouped around the royal complex in the southwest side of Somba Opu, which consisted of two enormous wooden palaces, storehouses, and a mosque. Outside Somba Opu fort were two major markets each to the north and south, and houses of the commoners. The quarters of the Portuguese, the Indians, and some European factories were located along the north coast. Somba Opu fell into Dutch hands in 1669. The Dutch text under the bird's-eye view of the town is interesting. It reads e.g. that the walls of the fortress are poorly maintained and that they would not withstand a canon shot or even a wooden ram. François Valentijn was a prominent historian of the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) who is best known for “Oud en Nieuw Oost Indiën”, his vast illustrated account of the Dutch trading empire in Asia. He travelled to the East Indies twice and served as Calvinist minister to Ambon between 1686 and 1694. In preparing this monumental work, he was given privileged access to the previously secret archives of the V.O.C., containing transcripts and copies of important earlier Dutch voyages. While Valentijn’s maps and diagrams were prized possessions, his scholarship, judging by 21st century standards was unscrupulous. Valentyn’s use of the products of other scientists’ and writers’ intellectual labour and his passing it off as his own, reveals a penchant for self-aggrandisement. Price: Euro 350,-
• About the artist

  François Valentijn (Dordrecht, April 17, 1666 – The Hague, August 6, 1727) was a Dutch minister, historian, and chronicler of exceptional significance for the knowledge of Asia in the early eighteenth century. He was twice sent to "the East" in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), an experience that formed the basis for his monumental life's work, Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (Old and New East Indies).

  After returning to the Netherlands, Valentijn devoted himself to compiling this extensive and unparalleled work, which has never been equaled in both its scope and level of detail. At a time when the VOC kept its information strictly confidential, he managed to amass a vast body of knowledge by utilizing all the oral and written sources he could obtain. His strength lay not only in his curiosity and tenacity, but also in his talent as a storyteller: Valentijn wrote vividly, precisely, and with a remarkably broad perspective.

  In Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (Old and New East Indies), he explicitly glorified Dutch power and empire in Asia. Valentijn was a staunch nationalist and saw it as his overarching mission to describe Dutch power in the East and thus demonstrate that the Republic had not lost the fortitude of its Batavian ancestors. In the preface to his work, he emphasized his desire to make visible the progress and glory of the Netherlands throughout the centuries.

  This attitude earned him the reputation of a somewhat self-absorbed and vain historian. Yet, this criticism does little to detract from the enduring value of his work. It is precisely through his detailed descriptions that the interaction between Europeans and Asians becomes vividly visible: not only colonial power relations, but also cultural encounters, misunderstandings, and mutual influences are given a place in his narrative.

  François Valentijn thus remains a complex figure: simultaneously nationalist and chronicler, preacher and historian, vain writer and indispensable source. His work remains a key text for understanding the Dutch presence in Asia and the broader world history of the early modern period.

Are you interested in buying this artwork?