The Elephant Hunt

Jan Brandes, 1785-12

In addition to cinnamon, elephants were a crucial export for the Dutch. The VOC required the local population to surrender a portion of the cinnamon harvest and assist in elephant hunting. In 1785, VOC official Cornelis de Cock went to see the inland elephant hunt. The Lutheran minister Jan Brandes documented this visit in great detail.

  • Artwork typedrawing
  • Object numberNG-1985-7-2-87
  • Dimensionsheight 195 mm x width 155 mm
  • Physical characteristicswaterverf over schets in potlood, penseel in kleuren

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • The Elephant Hunt
    • 'Baptizing' an elephant
  • Object type

  • Object number

    NG-1985-7-2-87

  • Description

    Overzichtstekening in kleur van het inbinden van de olifanten. Op de voorgrond VOC-beambten beschaduwd door dienaren. Op de achtergrond de noodkraal. Met opschrift. Nr. 10 in serie. Onderdeel uit het schetsboek van Jan Brandes, dl. 2 (1808), p. 129.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    inscription: ‘Wilda Elefanten blifver efter mätmingen, döpt med 3 krukor wattn, får hans namn, blir led i hans stall, sedan tages de twå tama Elefanter bort, hwardag skall han bindas emelan detama igen ledas til wattn, åter i sit stall, så blir han tam i, 8 dagar och kan en man leda twart han will.’


Creation

  • Creation

    draftsman (artist): Jan Brandes, Ja-Ela

  • Dating

    1785-12

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    waterverf over schets in potlood, penseel in kleuren

  • Dimensions

    height 195 mm x width 155 mm


This work is about

  • Person

  • Subject

  • Place


Acquisition and rights

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1985-05-02

  • Copyright

  • Provenance

    See the provenance for NG-1985-7-2.

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.


Documentation


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