Attributed to Willem Lodewijksz (? - 1604)
Four drawings in ink and brown watercolour, heightened with white, of people in the Dutch East Indies, unsigned, possibly drawings by Willem Lodewijcksz, c. 1596-1597
In Willem Lodewijckz’ book “D’eerste boeck. Historie van Indien, waer
inne verhaelt is de avontueren die de Hollandtsche schepen bejeghent sijn”, edited by Cornelis Claes, Amsterdam 1598, the engravings are based on drawings by Willem Lodewijcksz.This book is the classic account of the first Dutch voyage to the East Indies under the command of Cornelis de Hout- man. The expedition left Holland in 1595 and arrived in Banten, a famously wealthy spice port, in June 1596 after a voyage during which many of the crew died. Houtman was an undiplomatic, rude person, managing to offend almost everybody in the East and under his command, a lot of troubles arose between the captains and crews. Although the voyage was a disaster of deceases, deaths and other troubles, with only three of the four ships and 89 of the original crew of 249 returning alive to Holland, because of the increased price of pepper, the expedition was still able to turn a profit. But more importantly, it opened the way for subsequent enormously successful voyages that led to the founding of the VOC in 1602, and the establishment of a vast Dutch commercial empire in Asia.
The account of Houtman’s voyage was first published in Amsterdam in 1598. The engraved illustrations and text are after a manuscript supplied by Willem Lodewijcksz who served as a senior member and the most reliable chronicler of Houtman’s expedition.
1.) Afbeeldingen van eenige indiaensche koopluijden, A. sijn Malaysche koopluijden, C. sijn de qullin (?), B. is een afteekeniage van haer vrouwen, met haer kleedinge.
17 x 20.5 cm
2.) Van de dansinge der Javanen.
16 x 19.7 cm
3.) Afteekeninge van de inwoonders van pugnatian(?) Loopende gans naakt, haer geneerende(?) met vissen, stein(?) een aberin ofte moor uijt paepjanslant(?) sijn goede koopluijden en bootsgesellen.
16.3 x 19.2 cm
4.) Indonesian prince, with a keris tucked in his sarong under a parasol held by a servant, preceded by two soldiers and followed by servants, looked at by two sqauting figures.
14.1 x 20.7 cm