WD2984

The New Harmonie Building, Batavia, Java. 1814.

By W.O. Burgemeestre

Inscribed on front in ink: ‘No.3: The West Side View of the New Society House (Harmonie) at Rijswick; on the Tana-abang Road [sic] &: the Front View of the Batavia Literary Society, in the year 1814.’ Below: ‘door W.O. Burgemeestre;’ scale 10’:1”. Watermark: ‘J. Kool,’ with Lion and flag.

Pen and ink and wash; 30.5 by 127.5 cm.

Note: The 'new' Harmonie Society building at Rijswijk was completed in 1814 and replaced the old club premises in the Buiten Nieuwpoortstraat. As the construction of the new building had not proceeded far before Raffles was installed as Lieutenant-Governor, his permission was sought by the Society's managers to make new financial arrangements with the Orphan Chamber in order to complete the building. Permission was granted and a new contract was awarded by tender under the general supervision of the Civil Architect, Johannes Jongkind, who was largely responsible for the original plans. In October 1812 Raffles committed the Government to underwrite the loan as he considered the completion of the building to be 'highly conducive to the comfort and convenience of the European inhabitants of Batavia ... [and] of the first importance in a public point of view to promote social meetings and intercourse between the English and Dutch Inhabitants'. Part of the new building, as shown in the drawing, was allocated for the use of the Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences, and was officially opened by Raffles on the morning of 24 August 1814, on the occasion of the birthday of the Prince of Orange. The main Harmonie building was completed three months later, and when its rooms were thrown open on 18 January 1815 for a grand Ball to mark the Queen's birthday, the ‘Java Government Gazette’ was ecstatic in its description of the building: 'we never recollect to have seen apartments in India better calculated for purposes of public festivity. The house . . . is admirably constructed for the entertainment of a considerable number. The extensive Ball Room being arched, is well suited for the conveyance of musical sounds, and the spaciousness of the Supper-rooms, together with the suites of apartments that have been prepared for the amusement of those visitors who are not disposed to sport "the light fantastic toe", does great credit to the gentlemen and artists who have been concerned in the erection and completion of the building. . . . '. The present drawing, which must have been made in November or December 1814 and is therefore the earliest extant drawing of the building, shows the whole of its western facade as viewed from Tanah Abang. Of the artist little is known, apart from the fact that he lived in Batavia and was not in Government employ.