De Reede van Batavia

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Fair

Confirmed: Yes

Date Acquired: Dec 2025

Description: This finely executed copperplate engraving depicts the roadstead of Batavia, the principal settlement and administrative centre of the Dutch East India Company in Southeast Asia, as it appeared in the mid-eighteenth century. Founded in 1619 on the north-western coast of Java, Batavia functioned as the central hub of the VOCs Asian trading network, and its anchorage served as a vital maritime crossroads for long-distance commerce. The title, De Reede van Batavia (The Roads of Batavia), refers to the sheltered anchorage where East Indiamen and auxiliary vessels assembled to load spices, textiles, porcelain, and other commodities before undertaking the return voyage to Europe via the Cape of Good Hope.nThe print is engraved after a well-known painting by Hendrik Kobell and is viewed from an offshore vantage point looking toward the coast. The foreground is dominated by large Dutch merchant ships riding at anchor, their hulls carefully detailed with gunports, lanterns, and complex rigging. Dutch tricolour ensigns fly prominently from the masts, signalling the Companys maritime dominance, while smaller craftpinnaces, sloops, and service boatsanimate the waters as they shuttle men and goods between ship and shore.nIn the middle distance, a dense concentration of shipping fills the roadstead, including brigs, barks, hoys, and local prahus, reflecting the cosmopolitan character of Batavias maritime traffic. Flags of other European powers, including English and Danish, are visible, though Dutch vessels clearly predominate. Along the horizon, the low-lying Javanese coastline appears with warehouses, dwellings, and the fortifications of Kasteel Batavia faintly discernible amid palm groves. Beyond, distant volcanic formslikely Mount Salak and neighbouring peaksprovide a dramatic, if idealised, backdrop rendered with atmospheric perspective.nThe engraving was produced in Augsburg by Georg Matthäus Probst, with publication attributed to the Probst family workshop, which specialised in panoramic city views and exotic harbour scenes for the European market. Although not intended as a strictly topographical recordelevations are heightened and proportions adjusted for pictorial effectthe print displays close attention to nautical detail, with ship types, sail plans, and deck fittings consistent with mid-eighteenth-century practice. Contemporary hand colouring enhances the composition, lending depth and a sense of tropical light.nAt the lower margin, the Dutch title is set within a decorative cartouche adorned with maritime attributes and the arms of Batavia, accompanied by imprint credits to the Probst workshop. As with many Augsburg-produced views of overseas ports, the image functioned both as an informative representation of global trade and as a visual expression of European commercial ambition. Today, it offers a vivid snapshot of Batavias colonial maritime infrastructure shortly before the decline of the VOC in the later eighteenth century.

Engraver: Georg Mathäus Probst

First published: 1760, Augsburg

Image Size (cm): 40.5×26.5

Mapmaker: Probst, Georg Balthasar (16731745?)

Primary Category: Prints & Related Material

Rarity: R3 Uncommon – dealers can usually obtain a copy

Sheet size (cm): 46.5×33

Technique: Copper Engraving