Who painted Mill on Jawa?

Mill on Jawa was painted by H.Th. Hesselaar in 1851-01-01.

Where can I see Mill on Jawa?

Mill on Jawa is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Mill on Jawa?

Mill on Jawa is associated with Orientalism.

Can I buy a print of Mill on Jawa?

Museum-quality prints of Mill on Jawa are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Mill on Jawa

H.Th. Hesselaar , 1851

Mill on Jawa is an oil painting by the Orientalist artist H.Th. Hesselaar. It dates from 1851 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1851, this oil on canvas by H.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts a rural scene on the Indonesian island of Java, centered on a water-powered mill set within a cultivated landscape.

The work depicts a rural scene on the Indonesian island of Java, centered on a water-powered mill set within a cultivated landscape. A large tree stands immediately beside the mill, framing the structure and emphasizing its integration with the natural environment. A modest house appears in the background, suggesting a small agricultural settlement.

The composition balances industrial and domestic elements against a gently rolling terrain, conveying the harmonious coexistence of human labor and the land in a colonial-era Javanese setting.

Technique & Style

Mill on Jawa is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel support. Created in 1851 by H.Th. Hesselaar, the work measures 43 cm in height and 54 cm in width.

As a landscape painting, the composition depicts specific elements including trees and a house, situated in the location of Tegal. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

History & Provenance

The landscape painting Mill on Jawa was created by H.Th. Hesselaar in 1851. Executed in oil paint on a panel, the work measures 43 cm in height and 54 cm in width.

The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The artwork depicts a scene featuring a tree, a house, and the location of Tegal.

Mill on Jawa, an 1851 oil painting by H.Th. Hesselaar, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings, with its location recorded as the Rijksmuseum. The painting, executed in oil paint on panel, measures 43 cm in height by 54 cm in width.

No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.

Context

Mill on Jawa, an 1851 oil painting by H.Th. Hesselaar, depicts a tree, house, and Tegal in a Javanese landscape and was created as part of his Dutch colonial-era artistic practice. The work measures 43 by 54 cm and is held in the Rijksmuseum collection, reflecting the institution's focus on 19th-century European landscape traditions extended to colonial contexts.

Scholarly attention to Hesselaar's work situates Mill on Jawa within broader discussions of European artists engaging with Southeast Asian environments during the mid-1800s, though specific critical reception history of this particular painting remains undocumented in available sources.

Overview

Created in 1851, this oil on canvas by H.Th. Hesselaar portrays a tranquil riverside settlement. A line of white façades with red tiled roofs stretches along the water, while a modest flag bearing red, white and blue flutters from a central pole.

In the foreground a small boat carries two figures, and pedestrians populate the bank beneath a soft, golden sky.