Bilder François Valentijn – Dutch Factory at Hooghly-Chinsura – Copperplate Engraving – 1721

Beskrivning

This detailed copperplate engraving offers a bird’s-eye view of the Dutch East India Company’s trading post in Hooghly (Chinsura), Bengal, dating from 1721. The map presents the entire VOC compound with remarkable architectural clarity, highlighting warehouses, gardens, fortifications, administrative buildings, and the riverfront harbor lined with ships under Dutch flags. A decorative cartouche on the left lists the numbered key locations within the complex, reflecting the structured and fortified nature of VOC outposts in the Indian subcontinent.

François Valentijn (1666–1727) was a Dutch Calvinist minister, historian, and servant of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He is most renowned for his encyclopedic work Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën (Old and New East Indies), an extensive historical and geographical account of Dutch activities in Asia. His work is an invaluable source for the study of early modern colonialism and maritime trade, featuring meticulously engraved maps and views based on both personal observation and VOC archives.

Artist or Maker:
François Valentijn

Dimensions:
35 x 50 cm

Medium:
Copperplate Engraving

Date:
1721

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.