Bird's-eye View of Ambon, with a Portrait of Frederik Houtman (1571-1627) in a Cartouche — Anonymous

Anonymous. Painted c. 1617.

This is a view of the Mollucan island of Ambon with a portrait of its first Dutch governor, Frederik Houtman, at the lower right. At centre is the Portuguese Fort Victoria, which was seized by the Dutch East India Company in 1605 because of the lucrative clove production. Houtman initially maintained good contacts with the Ambonese chiefs, but the company later mounted ruthless ‘punitive expeditions’ to counter the sale of cloves to its rivals.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Currently on display in The Netherlands overseas, 17th Century, Main building.

oil paint (paint), canvas · Original size: 268.2 × 148.8 cm

Print: 119 × 66 cm, printed on Hahnemühle FineArt archival cotton paper. Museum-grade reproduction quality, true to the colours and detail of the original work.

Frame (optional): a custom-made wooden frame in a matte black finish, cut to the exact dimensions of this print, with an off-white passe-partout mat and protective glazing. Ready to hang.

Source: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200110536. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.