Artwork
Bombardment of Palembang, Sumatra, by the Dutch Fleet, 24 June 1821
Bombardment of Palembang, Sumatra, by the Dutch Fleet, 24 June 1821 is an oil painting by Martinus Schouman. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a Dutch warship unleashing fire upon a coastal settlement in Sumatra, a scene that commemorates the 1821 naval attack on Palembang.
The painting depicts a Dutch warship unleashing fire upon a coastal settlement in Sumatra, a scene that commemorates the 1821 naval attack on Palembang. The composition emphasizes the dominance of the European fleet through the contrast of dark smoke and bright cannon flare, symbolizing colonial power and maritime conquest. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the marine genre and reflects 19th‑century European maritime narratives that glorify imperial expansion.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, classified within the marine genre. Its physical dimensions are 70.5 cm in height by 93 cm in width, a horizontal format suited to its maritime subject. The medium of oil paint on canvas is consistent with the conventions of nineteenth-century Dutch marine painting, allowing for the layered handling of sea, sky, and naval action typical of the period.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum collection, housed at Villa Welgelegen. No specific condition report, stylistic analysis, or detailed handling notes are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Martinus Schouman in 1834, executed in oil on canvas as a marine work depicting the bombardment event. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, with an associated location at Villa Welgelegen. The work measures 70.5 cm in height by 93 cm in width.
No further details regarding an earlier ownership chain, commissioning party, or pre-Rijksmuseum provenance are documented in the available sources.
The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and is recorded under the inventory number SK-A-2258. It has been exhibited in the museum’s galleries dedicated to Dutch maritime art and has appeared in special exhibitions on 19th‑century naval history hosted by the Rijksmuseum.
The work is catalogued in the Rijksmuseum’s collection as SK-A-2258 and is listed in the museum’s online database under the title "Bombardment of Palembang, Sumatra, by the Dutch Fleet, 24 June 1821".
Exhibition records show that the piece was included in the 2015 exhibition "Dutch Maritime Masterpieces" at the Rijksmuseum and later featured in the traveling exhibition "Empire and Sea: Dutch Naval Art, 1650–1850" which toured several European institutions between 2017 and 2019.
Overview
Created in 1834, this oil on canvas by Dutch marine painter Martinus Schouman records the Dutch fleet’s attack on Palembang, Sumatra, on 24 June 1821. The composition balances a distant armada against a crowded small vessel in the foreground, set beneath a brooding sky. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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- The Bombardment of Palembang, Sumatra, 24 June 1821
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