A Sugar Mill

Ask anything

• NATHALIA LAMBERT asked

  Good afternoon, I'm researching images for a publication in Brazil, about the history of citizenship and we would like to use this image by Frans Post in the book. for this I would like to know the procedures involved and if you can provide a high resolution image.
  
  thank you, Nathalia

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Nathalia,
  
  since 2021 the museum stimulates the accessibility of the collection by offering images of artworks for free when they are photographed professionally. You can read the procedure to request images on this webpage https://www.boijmans.nl/en/image-requests.
  
  I hope this information is helpful.
  
  Kind regards ,
  Gianni

• Marina asked

  Hello,
  As we now know these pictures were painted from Post's immagination at his return in Holland – and are considered capricci – could we conclude that these paintings are just examples of exoticism and therefore undermine the issue of slavery in Dutch Brazil? I guess my question is, how much can we trust Frans Post work? Is there still some kind of truth in these "pacifist" views of Brazil between the natives, Africans, Dutch and Portugese? Or are they supposed to be seen as a sort of propaganda to attract more Dutch colonist into Brazil through the economic interest of sugar production – while shaping a kind of Eldorado?
  Needless to say I am currently writting a paper about this painting! :)) I figuered I might as well ask you for opinion. I absolutely love this concept!
  Thank you very much!
  Marina

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Marina, As your question already shows, history is never so uncomplicated, and I think you cannot conclude that it was either pure exoticism nor pure propaganda. The painter was a human being and looked at this new world from a certain (privileged) perspective. Back home he digested the impressions he got during his travels into (a.o.) this painting. But to what end? Your research sounds very interesting and I suppose there is a lot of archival material. Do you know the book 'Unpacking Culture'? If not it might be interesting for you. I am curious about you conclusions. Good luck and kind regards, Els

• anna knaap asked

  What indigenous plants and animals (birds, snake) are shown in the left foreground.
  Second, is the Catholic church seen on the right still in existence?

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Anna,
  Characteristic to Post's oeuvre is this type of partial frame with exotic foliage and animals. This painting comes from the so-called Third phase (1661-1669) in the work of Frans Post. It is regarded as the most brilliant and prolific phase of his career. Post's compositions become freer in this period; he now executes capricci (fantasy landscapes) with various Brazilian elements to satisfy the curiosity and a taste for the exotic of his new clients, most of whom never visited Brazil. It is therefore very likely that this particular landscape did not exist in real life as well, and that it's not possible to identify the church.
  Studies have identified the animals in the foreground as a white eared opossum being eaten by a boa constrictor. The local red plant is known as the timacambiré. Unfortunately I could not find any further information about the birds and the vegetation in this work. Kind regards, Tanja