View of the Mill and the Boiling House of the Waterland Sugar Plantation, Dirk Valkenburg, 1708
pen, h 196mm × w 341mm More details
Drawings of the Palmeneribo, Waterland and Surimombo Plantations. With the viewing instructions that Valken burg noted on his drawings, Witsen was able to take a virtual walk around his plantations. There are hardly any people in the drawings, except possibly Valkenburg himself on the doorstep of the residence on Surimombo. The artist seems to have a particular eye for the buildings and for the sluice, which was important to regulate the water level. The sugar cane fields are also missing. For Witsen, Valkenburg was not only a link between the two worlds, but also a filter.
