Artwork
View of Banda, Southern Moluccas
View of Banda, Southern Moluccas is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Johannes Vingboons. It dates from 1662 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Banda Neira, the main island of the Banda archipelago in the Southern Moluccas, as viewed from the sea.
The painting depicts Banda Neira, the main island of the Banda archipelago in the Southern Moluccas, as viewed from the sea.
It foregrounds Neira Island’s fortified settlement and its harbor, with ships indicating the island’s role as a center of the nutmeg trade under Dutch control in the seventeenth century. The orderly arrangement of buildings and the presence of European-style vessels underscore the colonial administration and commercial networks established in the region during this period.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1662, this landscape painting by Johannes Vingboons utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 97 cm in height and 140 cm in width, reflecting the substantial scale typical of Dutch Golden Age marine and topographical views. Created in the Northern Low Countries, the composition depicts the island of Neira within the Banda archipelago, featuring a ship as a central element of the maritime scene.
The medium and support combination allowed for the detailed rendering of the tropical landscape and naval activity characteristic of Vingboons' output during this period.
History & Provenance
The painting View of Banda, Southern Moluccas was created in 1662 by the Dutch artist Johannes Vingboons. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 97 cm in height and 140 cm in width. It was produced in the Northern Low Countries and depicts the landscape of Neira Island within the Banda archipelago, featuring a ship in the scene. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting View of Banda, Southern Moluccas, by Johannes Vingboons and dated 1662, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the provided material.
Context
Johannes Vingboons painted View of Banda, Southern Moluccas in 1662, depicting Banda Neira and passing ships within a Dutch colonial landscape tradition. The work belongs to his broader coastal survey series documenting VOC territories, reflecting early modern European engagement with Southeast Asian spaces. It resides in the Rijksmuseum collection, where it is classified as a landscape painting in oil on canvas measuring 97 by 140 centimeters.
Overview
Johannes Vingboons’ oil painting, dated 1662, presents a coastal view of Banda Neira in the southern Moluccas. The work captures a small, tree‑covered island with modest structures and a sizable sailing vessel navigating the surrounding waters. Rendered in a clear, detailed manner, the scene is framed by a light blue sky dotted with soft white clouds.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johannes Vingboons was a Dutch draughtsman, watercolourist, and cartographer active in Amsterdam during the seventeenth century, in the period of the Dutch Golden Age.
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