Who painted Sugar Mill on Jawa?

Sugar Mill on Jawa was painted by H.Th. Hesselaar in 1849-01-01.

Where can I see Sugar Mill on Jawa?

Sugar Mill on Jawa is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Sugar Mill on Jawa?

Sugar Mill on Jawa is associated with Realism.

Can I buy a print of Sugar Mill on Jawa?

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

Artwork

Sugar Mill on Jawa

H.Th. Hesselaar , 1849

Sugar Mill on Jawa is an oil painting by the Realist artist H.Th. Hesselaar. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Painted in 1849 by H.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work conveys the intersection of Dutch colonial enterprise with local landscape, emphasizing the plantation economy’s reliance on both land and machinery.

Sugar Mill on Jawa depicts a single industrial sugar-processing structure set within a cultivated landscape on the island of Java. The composition centers on the mill’s vertical brick chimney and adjacent buildings, framed by orderly rows of sugarcane and a single large tree. The scene records a moment of colonial-era industrialization, where European sugar technology was introduced to Java’s agricultural economy.

The work conveys the intersection of Dutch colonial enterprise with local landscape, emphasizing the plantation economy’s reliance on both land and machinery. By isolating the mill and tree against a clear sky, the artist underscores the technological intervention within a seemingly tranquil setting, suggesting both progress and the transformation of place.

Technique & Style

Created in 1849, Sugar Mill on Jawa is an oil painting executed on a panel support. The work measures 43 cm in height and 54 cm in width. Visually, the composition depicts a house and trees, rendered through the artist's handling of oil paint to capture the scene. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

History & Provenance

Sugar Mill on Jawa is an oil painting created by the Dutch artist H.Th. Hesselaar in 1849. The work was painted on panel and measures 43 cm in height by 54 cm in width.

It depicts a house and a tree, consistent with a view of a sugar mill on the island of Java. The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located. No further details regarding its commission, successive ownership, or chain of custody prior to its museum acquisition are documented in the available sources.

The painting Sugar Mill on Jawa by H.Th. Hesselaar is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1849, the work is executed in oil paint on a panel measuring 43 cm in height and 54 cm in width.

The available records confirm its location at the Rijksmuseum but do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they list any past or current exhibitions for this piece.

Overview

H.Th. Hesselaar’s 1849 oil painting, Sugar Mill on Jawa, presents a tropical industrial scene on the island of Java. The composition centers on a sugar-processing facility surrounded by modest dwellings and foliage, with a modest bridge spanning a shallow watercourse in the foreground. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and offers a glimpse into mid‑nineteenth‑century colonial landscapes.