WD3004

Young Javanese man. c.1816

Probably by a British artist.

Inscribed on front in pencil: ‘A portrait Qu. whose?’

Pencil; 40.9 by 27 cm.

Watermark: ‘Golding & Snelgrove 1815:’ Britannia Crown.

Note: The subject of the portrait is too young to be Raden Rana Dipura who accompanied Raffles from Java to England in 1816, and whose portrait forms the frontispiece of Raffles's ‘The History of Java’ (London, 1817). It is most probably a portrait of one of the small party of Javanese who were with him at Buitenzorg and Tjisarua in 1815 and who assisted him with the translation of the Javanese ‘babads’ and the ‘Bratayuda’ in preparation for writing ‘The History of’ ‘Java.’ In that case, the most likely person would be the young Raden Saleh (second son of Kiai Adipati Sura Adi Manggala, Regent of Semarang) who was born around 1801, thus making him about the age of the subject of the portrait. He had been sent in 1812 with his younger brother, Sukur, to Bengal in order 'that they might there receive an education superior to what they could have at home'. They remained in Calcutta for about two years under the immediate protection of the Governor-General, Lord Minto, studying mathematics as well as Greek, Roman, and European history, and on their return to Java they 'not only conversed and wrote in the English language with facility and correctness, but evinced considerable proficiency in every branch of knowledge to which their attention had been directed'. To Raffles, Raden Saleh in particular represented everything that was perfect in the Javanese character as 'improved' under British civilizing influences: 'He is remarked for his graceful and polite manners, [and] for the propriety of his conduct.... Among all the English on Java, who have had an opportunity of conversing with this young nobleman, there has not been one who has hesitated to admit, that his mind, his qualifications, and conduct, would be conspicuous among their own countrymen at the same age, and that, as an accomplished gentleman, he was fitted for the first societies of Europe.' It was, in fact, Raffles's intention to take him to England with him in 1816 but circumstances in Raden Saleh's family prevented this. Raffles's fulsome praise of him was echoed by others, including John Crawfurd who attested that his facility with English was such that 'his language could not easily be discerned from that of a well-educated English youth'.