Bilder François Valentijn – View of Dabul on the Konkan Coast – Copperplate Engraving – 1726

Beskrivning

This original 18th-century copperplate engraving shows the fortified port of Dabul (now Dabhol) on the western coast of India, as seen from the sea. The panoramic coastal view includes European ships sailing in the foreground and the fortified settlement with its natural harbors and defensive structures nestled among the hills. Dabul was an important Mughal port and later came under Portuguese and Maratha control before attracting the interest of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This engraving was published in the monumental work Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, a multi-volume Dutch compendium documenting the VOC’s activities and colonial holdings in Asia.

François Valentijn (1666–1727) was a Dutch minister, historian, and VOC official who spent many years in the Dutch East Indies. He is best known for his comprehensive illustrated work Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (Old and New East Indies), published in Amsterdam in the 1720s. The work contains detailed accounts of VOC territories, natural history, and ethnographic observations, supported by lavish engravings and maps. Valentijn’s writings and illustrations remain a crucial source for the history of Dutch colonialism in Asia.

Artist or Maker:
François Valentijn

Dimensions:
34 cm x 51 cm

Medium:
Copperplate Engraving

Date: 1726

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.