Antique Print of the City Hall and Portugese Church of Batavia by Valentijn (1726)

Description: Antique print titled 'Het Stadhuys van Batavia - De Portugeesche Stads-Kerk - De Portugeesche Buyten-Kerk'. View of the city hall of Batavia and Portugese church. This city hall was the administrative headquarters of the Dutch East India Company and later of the Dutch Colonial Government. The current building was constructed in 1707 by the city government, replacing the former city hall built in 1627. Governor General Abraham van Riebeeck inaugurated it in 1710. As the city continue to expand southward, the building’s function as city hall (Dutch gemeentehuis) ended by 1913. Nowadays the Jakarta History Museum (Indonesian: Museum Sejarah Jakarta), also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum. This print originates from 'Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën' by F. Valentijn.

Artists and Engravers: François Valentijn (1666-1727), a missionary, worked at Amboina from 1684 to 1694 and 1705 to 1713 and travelled extensively in the VOC's lands.