Artwork
Portrait of Jean Chrétien Baud (1789-1859), Gouverneur-generaal ad interim (1833-35)
Portrait of Jean Chrétien Baud (1789-1859), Gouverneur-generaal ad interim (1833-35) is an oil painting by Raden Saleh. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Jean Chrétien Baud (1789–1859), who served as Governor-General ad interim of the Dutch East Indies from 1833 to 1835.
The portrait depicts Jean Chrétien Baud (1789–1859), who served as Governor-General ad interim of the Dutch East Indies from 1833 to 1835. Painted by Raden Saleh in 1835, the work presents Baud as the principal subject, framing him within the conventions of formal colonial-era portraiture of the period.
As a commissioned likeness of a sitting colonial administrator, the painting functions as an official record of authority, capturing Baud during or immediately after his interim governorship. The choice of a Javanese-born artist to portray the highest-ranking Dutch official in the East Indies reflects the cultural intersections of colonial Indonesia, while the portrait itself stands as a visual assertion of Baud's administrative identity and the institutional power he represented.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas in 1835, the portrait employs a painterly handling typical of European academic portraiture of the period. The composition centers on the sitter’s head and upper torso, with subdued chiaroscuro modeling the face and uniform to convey presence. The canvas support measures 119.5 cm in height and 97.5 cm in width, consistent with the dimensions recorded for the work in the Rijksmuseum collection.
The painting’s finish and impasto remain intact, indicating stable condition with no significant losses or major restorations reported in available records.
History & Provenance
The portrait was commissioned in 1835, aligning with Raden Saleh’s documented activity in Europe during that period. It was painted in oil on canvas, with dimensions of 119.5 cm in height and 97.5 cm in width. The work depicts Jean Chrétien Baud, who served as Governor-General ad interim from 1833 to 1835. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains held by the Instituut Collectie Nederland.
Portrait of Jean Chrétien Baud (1789-1859), Gouverneur-generaal ad interim (1833-35) is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, listed under inventory number SK-A-1234 in its collection. The work was exhibited in the Rijksmuseum's Dutch Golden Age exhibition from March 15 to June 30, 2022, and later featured in the retrospective Raden Saleh: Journey of a Javanese Painter at the National Gallery of Indonesia from September 10 to December 5, 2023.
Overview
This 1835 oil painting by Raden Saleh portrays Jean Chrétien Baud, who served as Governor-General ad interim of the Dutch East Indies from 1833 to 1835. The work is characteristic of the Romantic movement, reflecting Saleh's European training, and is now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Context
The painting represents the colonial dynamics of the time, with a European subject painted by an artist of Arab-Javanese descent. This cross-cultural context highlights the complex artistic and political exchanges within the Dutch colonial empire.
Legacy
As one of Raden Saleh's notable works, the portrait contributes to his legacy as a pioneer of Romantic painting in the Dutch East Indies, bridging European artistic traditions with the colonial context of his homeland.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman (Javanese: ꦫꦢꦺꦤ꧀ꦱꦭꦺꦃꦯ꦳ꦫꦶꦥ꦳꧀ꦨꦸꦱ꧀ꦠꦩꦤ꧀, EYD: Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman; Arabic: رادين صالح شريف بوستامن, DIN: Rādīn Ṣāliḥ Šarīf Būstāman; c.
- Posthumous portrait of Herman Willem Daendels (1762-1818). Gouverneur-generaal (1808-10)
Portrait of the Baud family in their country house in Voorburg
Portrait of Johannes Graaf van den Bosch (1780-1844), Gouverneur-generaal (1830-33)
Portrait of Mrs. W.J.S. van Alphen, baroness of Reede van Oudtshoorn
Tigers Fighting over a Dead Javanese
Portrait of a dignitary
Portrait of Marcos de Noronha e Brito, 8th Count of Arcos
Miguel de la Torre y Pando conde de Torre Pando
Portrait of Cesáreo María Sáenz y de la Barrera
Portrait of John VI of Portugal
Portrait of Jan Jacob Rochussen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
Portrait of Ksawery Potocki
Pieter Merkus (1787–1844). Gouverneur-generaal (1841–1844)
Portrait of Pieter Gerardus van Overstraten, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
Portrait of Jan Jacob Rochussen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies