The Arms of the Dutch East India Company and of the Town of Batavia - Jeronimus Becx (II)

A detailed seventeenth-century heraldic painting depicting the emblems of the Dutch East India Company and the city of Batavia.

This work by Jeronimus Becx (II) presents a dual heraldic composition, documenting the symbols of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the colonial administration of Batavia. The left oval features the VOC emblem, flanked by a merman holding a trident and a female figure adorned with a leafy girdle. Behind the central shield, which displays a Dutch ship at sea, are navigational instruments, including an armillary sphere and a compass. The base is decorated with an assortment of seashells, reflecting the maritime focus of the company.

The right oval depicts the coat of arms of Batavia, supported by two lions. One lion holds a bundle of arrows, while the other brandishes a sword. Above the shield, the word BATAVIA is inscribed on a scroll, framed by palm fronds. Below the shield, a Dutch inscription provides historical context, noting the conquest of the city in 1619. The painting is executed with a focus on clear, descriptive detail, typical of seventeenth-century Dutch administrative and commemorative art.

Becx (II) employs a balanced, symmetrical arrangement within the two ovals, set against a neutral, dark background. The work functions as a visual record of colonial expansion and corporate identity during the seventeenth century. The precision in the rendering of the navigational tools and the heraldic lions demonstrates the technical skill expected of a painter working within the Dutch tradition of the period. This piece offers a view into the visual culture of the Dutch East India Company, where maritime power and administrative authority were represented through classical and heraldic motifs.