Who painted Dutch Plantation in Bengal?

Dutch Plantation in Bengal was painted by Hendrik van Schuylenburgh in 1665-01-01.

Where can I see Dutch Plantation in Bengal?

Dutch Plantation in Bengal is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Dutch Plantation in Bengal?

Dutch Plantation in Bengal is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of Dutch Plantation in Bengal?

Museum-quality prints of Dutch Plantation in Bengal are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Dutch Plantation in Bengal

Hendrik van Schuylenburgh , 1665

Dutch Plantation in Bengal is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Hendrik van Schuylenburgh. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work functions as a visual record of colonial economic activity, where cultivated spaces and architectural forms signal authority and resource extraction.

The painting shows a colonial landscape centered on a European-style house surrounded by tropical trees, suggesting a Dutch plantation setting in Bengal. This depiction reflects European colonial presence and land management in 17th-century Bengal.

The work functions as a visual record of colonial economic activity, where cultivated spaces and architectural forms signal authority and resource extraction.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 133 cm in height by 205 cm in width. It depicts a Dutch plantation scene with a house and surrounding trees, reflecting 17th-century landscape genre conventions. The formal treatment emphasizes expansive space and detailed natural elements characteristic of the period.

History & Provenance

Painted in 1665 by Hendrik van Schuylenburgh, this oil on canvas landscape depicting a house and a tree was created as a view of a Dutch plantation in Bengal. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains on public display.

Overview

Hendrik van Schuylenburgh’s 1665 oil painting titled Dutch Plantation in Bengal presents a tranquil colonial scene. Central to the composition is a large white structure surrounded by a courtyard, set against a landscape of fields, modest dwellings, and a riverbank. Figures and horses populate the foreground, while a pale sky with soft clouds frames the view, creating a balanced, expansive vista.

Context

The composition aligns with a broader genre of Dutch landscape painting that documented colonial enterprises abroad. By situating a European architectural form within a South Asian setting, the artist contributes to contemporary narratives of trade, expansion, and the visual codification of overseas possessions during the mid‑17th century.