Forts Zeelandia and Provintia and the City of Tainan
This pictorial map depicts the Taiwanese coastal town of Tainan, where the Dutch built two forts around 1624, remnants of which still survive today. In addition to showcasing the European-style forts with their distinctive masonry architecture, the painting records a wealth of other details, including Chinese-style walled towns, farmhouses on stilts, and numerous vignettes of dailym life featuring both people in Chinese dress and half-naked indigenous people.
Several versions of this composition—all painted on deerskin—are extant. Although each of the versions is somewhat different, the use of stamps or stencils to reproduce many of the pictorial elements suggests that, like Chinese painted wallpapers, it was created in a workshop for the Western market. While a precise date for the map's creation is difficult to pinpoint, the absence of foreign ships or figures indicates that the composition postdates the departure of the Dutch in 1662, and the presence of a city wall, which was not built until 1791, suggests that the painting, acquired at auction from a German collection in 1909, probably dates to the nineteenth century.
Several versions of this composition—all painted on deerskin—are extant. Although each of the versions is somewhat different, the use of stamps or stencils to reproduce many of the pictorial elements suggests that, like Chinese painted wallpapers, it was created in a workshop for the Western market. While a precise date for the map's creation is difficult to pinpoint, the absence of foreign ships or figures indicates that the composition postdates the departure of the Dutch in 1662, and the presence of a city wall, which was not built until 1791, suggests that the painting, acquired at auction from a German collection in 1909, probably dates to the nineteenth century.
Artwork Details
- 清 佚名 台南地區荷蘭城堡
- Title: Forts Zeelandia and Provintia and the City of Tainan
- Artist: Unidentified artist (Chinese, active 19th century)
- Date: 19th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Wall hanging; ink and color on deerskin
- Dimensions: Image: 59 1/4 × 80 3/4 in. (150.5 × 205.1 cm)
Overall with decorative borders: 68 5/8 × 90 1/4 in. (174.3 × 229.2 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1909
- Object Number: 09.3
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.