WD2986

Stalactite Cliffs, Mantjingan, Java. 1815

By Jan Knops

Inscribed on back in pencil in the hand of Captain G.P. Baker: ‘Mr Knops’s View of the front of the Stalactytes Cliffs at Manchingan, on the South Shore of Java 18 miles from Djocjocarta - July 1815. Mr K has used too much green, & too little shading’.

Water-colour; 29.2 by 43.3 cm.

Note: This water-colour is of interest in affording a rare authenticated example of the work of the Dutch draughtsman, Jan Knops, son of the former Resident of Japara and a pupil of the Semarang Marine School. At the time of the British conquest of Java he had attained the rank of Lieutenant, and in August 1812 was employed as Surveyor under Major H.C. Cornelius at Semarang in copying maps. His chief described him in the following year, when he was at work on a large chart of the district of Demak, as an extraordinarily good draughtsman. In June 1815 he was placed at the disposal of Captain G.P. Baker at Surakarta, together with another surveyor, J.H. Vodegel. Knops immediately proceeded with Baker on a survey of the southern coast of the Principalities of Java, during the course of which they visited Mantjingan, Karangbolong, Tjilatjap, and Nusa Kambangan. Drawings WD2986-2992 are all a product of this journey. Knops was supposed to work up his sketches into finished drawings after he returned to Surakarta, but he apparently returned to Semarang before doing so. On 12 April 1816 we find the Resident at Solo complaining that Knops had not fulfilled his commitments 'for he engaged to travel with Captain Baker to make sketches and to complete them at Solo', and Baker himself wrote two days later: 'Having lately been up to Solo for the purpose of seeing what Mr. Knops had done in part of his agreement, I found scarcely 10 drawings etc. finished and nearly 100 as yet untouched, beside many plans etc. which he has yet to copy and many sketches yet to make (should I travel this year) in order to fulfil his agreement as a public servant.' Knops was sent back to Surakarta to complete 'certain engagements which he entered into some months ago', but to what precise effect it is difficult to say. Presumably many of the drawings which Baker took with him to Calcutta later in the year and which he forwarded to Raffles in London were by Knops, but there is only a handful of drawings which actually carry his signature.