Old painting expo at National Library

Old painting expo at National Library

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri opened on
Monday an exhibition at the National Library featuring 50
paintings made in the 1770s by Dutch East India Company (VOC)
soldier Johannes Rach.

The three-day exhibition is held in celebration of its 21st
anniversary which falls on May 17.

The paintings on scenes of Batavia, which are part of the
library's collection, will later be displayed in the Jakarta
History Museum until August, and in the National Archives Museum
from November to December.

There will also be a one-day symposium discussing all aspects
of the paintings, library head Hernandono told a press briefing
on Friday.

"The paintings depict precisely the physical conditions of the
city, so experts believe that he (the artist) was actually an
intelligence officer who was used to draw such details since
there was no camera at that time," he said.

The library has 176 of Rach's works in its collection, while
the remaining 32 are in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.

The museum's curator and officials will address the symposium
together with Indonesian expert Uka Tjandrasasmita from the
Bandung-based Padjadjaran University.

Starting this month, the library will also collect books from
the public, to be donated to poor children in September. (bby)