Artifact World Gallery
Get the iOS app

View of Olinda, Brazil by Frans Post

Frans Post · 1662-01-01

Frans Post's 1662 oil painting, "View of Olinda, Brazil," captures the landscape of a contested region.

The artist depicts the cathedral in ruins, a direct reference to the historical conflict when Dutch forces seized control from the Portuguese. Notice the meticulously rendered local flora and fauna, such as the pineapple plant and the monkey, which Post drew from life.

These natural elements, alongside symbols like gourds, signify the abundance and wildness of the Brazilian landscape, offering a counterpoint to the destruction of the architecture. Post's work blends European landscape traditions with firsthand observations of the Americas.

The painting invites us to read the landscape as a coded message of conquest and natural wealth.

Details

A Dutch painter shows the ruined cathedral.
A Dutch painter shows the ruined cathedral.
Highlights the exotic flora of Brazil, a key element of Post's work.
Highlights the exotic flora of Brazil, a key element of Post's work.
Transcript

This is Olinda, Brazil, in 1662. A Dutch painter shows the ruined cathedral. Dutch forces damaged it taking control. Look at the spiky pineapple plant. The pineapple means local abundance and life. A small monkey hides in the leaves. Monkeys represent the wild, untamed nature. This gourd means a fertile, rich land.