View of Ambon, anonymous, c. 1617
oil on canvas, h 148.8cm × w 268.2cm Catalogue entry
This is a view of the Mollucan island of Ambon with a portrait of its first Dutch governor, Frederik Houtman, at the lower right. At centre is the Portuguese Fort Victoria, which was seized by the Dutch East India Company in 1605 because of the lucrative clove production. Houtman initially maintained good contacts with the Ambonese chiefs, but the company later mounted ruthless ‘punitive expeditions’ to counter the sale of cloves to its rivals.
