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Christoffel de Wilde collection

 Collection
Identifier: ubl047

Scope and Contents

The collection De Cock contains the only known drawings and sketches made on Java by Christoffel de Wilde. It includes 23 drawings and three studies in oil. One of the drawings is the portrait of a young man. This young man could possibly be De Wilde’s eldest son, Andries, but this identification is only a conjecture, since the portrait is not annotated. With the exception of one sketch, the drawings and studies depict landscapes in the Preanger region (Priangan), the mountainous Sundalands of West Java, where Bandung – only a small 'negorij' back then – is currently the largest city. The images picture landscapes and detailed views on waterfalls. There is also one sketch which gives an impression of the daily life. It depicts a small orchestra and two female dancers. 19 out of the 24 topgraphical images have been annotated by De Wilde, 15 of those have been dated and one is signed by 'C. de Wilde'. The dates range from 20 March to 12 October 1819. This collection is relatively homogeneous and offers a valuable insight into De Wilde's travels north and south of Bandung. Nevertheless, the image is only partial, both in space and in time, as De Wilde has lived in Java much longer than the period that was indicated, and he has also seen much more of the island than only the places that are depicted in the drawings.

Dates

  • Creation: 1818-1819

Conditions Governing Use

Regulations that apply during the use of these materials can be found on the website of Leiden University Library.

Biographical / Historical

Christoffel de Wilde (1784-1860) was born in Amsterdam from a wealthy family. He travelled to Java in 1803, together with his brother Andries, who was to become one of the most prosperous landowners in West Java in the first half of the nineteenth century. Christoffel settled in the Priangan. From 1816 to 1819 Christoffel was employed by the colonial administration as a coffee-inspector in the region of Bandung. His task was to inspect the cultivated fields and to ensure that the harvested coffee beans safely found their way to the governmental storehouses. For his work, he frequently needed to travel and De Wilde often had the occasion to draw or to sketch the places that he visited. De Wilde and his family returned to Holland in the course of 1826. He came to live in Utrecht where he stayed until his death in 1860. In Utrecht, De Wilde continued to draw during his leisure time, and also took up an interest in painting. De Wilde apparently developed his skills well, since he could exhibit his Javanese landscapes in 1834 in Amsterdam, in 1835 in Den Haag en in 1836 in Rotterdam at exhibitions of contemporary Dutch masters.

Extent

23 drawings and three studies in oil

Language of Materials

Undetermined

Abstract in Dutch

Collectie bestaande uit 23 tekeningen en drie olieverfstudies van de hand van Christoffel de Wilde (1784-1860), voornamelijk van Javaanse landschappen, gemaakt in de Priangan (West-Java) in de jaren 1818-1819.

Abstract in English

Collection of twenty-three drawings and three oilstudies by Christoffel de Wilde (1784-1860) in the years 1818-1819 in the Priangan (West Java).

Physical Location

Leiden University Library, Special Collections

Other Finding Aids

See the inventory.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection remained within the possession of the De Wilde family through the artist's daughter. It was presented to the Library by one of her descendants, Mr. H.G. de Cock of Voorburg, The Netherlands, on 23 November 2002.

General

The material in this collection can be requested at the Special Collections Reading Room.

Processing Information

After the collection entered the Leiden University Library, the drawings and oil studies were restored, placed in passe-partouts and placed in boxes that are kept in the library’s safe. An inventory was made, which was included in the general catalogue of the Oriental Collections. The collection was named after its donator (H.G. de Cock) and has the shelfmark Or. 26.236.

Title
Collection guide of the Christoffel de Wilde collection (1818-1819)
Subtitle
Collectie Christoffel de Wilde
Author
Marie-Odette Scalliet, 2007
Date
2007
Language of description
Dutch; Flemish
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Beschrijving is in het Nederlands.

Repository Details

Part of the Leiden University Libraries Archives & Collections Repository

Contact:
Witte Singel 27
Leiden 2311 BG Netherlands
+31 71 527 2857