Highland Landscape in the Bantam Residency, Java Lithograph, Published 1872

Highland Landscape in the Bantam Residency, Java Lithograph, Published 1872

This expansive and atmospheric chromolithograph presents a sweeping view over the highlands of the Bantam Residency in West Java, offering a powerful sense of the island’s vastness and topographical variety. It is plate number 16 from the rare folio Java, naar schilderijen en teekeningen van A. Salm, lithographed by J.C. Greive Jr. and published by Frans Buffa & Zonen in Amsterdam around 1872.

The scene is composed with striking depth. In the foreground, simple traditional dwellings with thatched roofs line a dusty path on a hilltop, their angular rooftops casting long shadows in the warm afternoon light. Two travelers, barely visible on the trail, move toward the edge of the valley, which opens dramatically beyond a ridge. The eye is led into the sweeping expanse below, where fields stretch out in subtle bands of green and gray. The view culminates in a distant chain of hazy blue hills and a high mountain rising softly under a pale, cloud-laced sky.

This landscape conveys a profound sense of space, silence, and grandeur, qualities that were rarely captured with such poetic sensitivity in colonial-era art. The village in the foreground offers a gentle counterpoint to the majestic setting, grounding the scene in daily life. The Bantam Residency (modern-day Banten) was one of the oldest areas of Dutch colonial settlement on Java, yet such tranquil depictions of its uplands remain rare.

Abram Salm, a self-taught painter and longtime resident of Java, excelled at capturing both grand views and human-scaled detail. J.C. Greive’s lithographic rendering, with its layered tonal work and subtle hand-coloring, honors that balance beautifully. The muted palette and natural composition make this plate ideal for collectors of Indonesian colonial art or historical landscape prints.

Condition report:

This print is in very good condition. The image area is clean, with excellent preservation of detail and subtle color gradations. Some minor foxing is present in the wide outer margins, with slight age toning near the edges. The original printed title ticket remains affixed in the lower right corner.

Framing suggestion:

A wide archival mat in warm white or cream will accentuate the spaciousness of the view. A light or medium wood frame, such as oak or ash, will harmonize with the earthy colors and rural subject. Consider non-reflective museum glass to safeguard the fine tonal detail and hand-coloring.

The complete list from this work below. A large number of them available for purchase in my shop:

1. Het land Tjitarap; Assistent-Residentie Buitenzorg

The land of Tjitarap; Assistant Residency of Buitenzorg

2. De Vulkaan de Smeroe; genomen uit de Residentie Pasoeroean

The volcano Smeroe; seen from the Pasoeroean Residency

3. Waterval Singahan; Residentie Rembang

The Singahan Waterfall; Rembang Residency

4. De Suikerfabriek Pangka; Residentie Tagal

The sugar factory Pangka; Tagal Residency

5. Gezicht op het land Tjiliboet; Assistent-Residentie Buitenzorg

View of the land of Tjiliboet; Assistant Residency of Buitenzorg

6. De kleine Baai Srigonjo, zuidkust van Java; Assistent-Residentie Malang, Residentie Pasoeroean

The small bay of Srigonjo, south coast of Java; Assistant Residency of Malang, Pasoeroean Residency

7. Anjer, straat Sunda, Noordkust van Java; Residentie Bantam

Anjer, Sunda Strait, north coast of Java; Bantam Residency

8. De Vuurspuwende Berg Bromo in 1856; Residentie Probolingo

The erupting Mount Bromo in 1856; Probolingo Residency

9. Gezicht op de rivier de Solo; Assistent-Residentie Toeban, Residentie Rembang

View of the Solo River; Assistant Residency of Toeban, Rembang Residency

10. Gezicht op het Kawische Gebergte en op de Tabaks-onderneming; Assistent-Residentie Malang

View of the Kawische Mountains and a tobacco plantation; Assistant Residency of Malang

11. Weg van Buitenzorg naar de Vallei van den Salakh; Residentie Buitenzorg

Road from Buitenzorg to the Valley of Salakh; Buitenzorg Residency

12. De Rivier Brantas als Bergstroom; Residentie Pasoeroean

The Brantas River as a mountain stream; Pasoeroean Residency

13. Landschap in de Bataviasche ommelanden

Landscape in the surroundings of Batavia

14. Landschap in het Malangsche; Residentie Pasoeroean

Landscape in the Malang region; Pasoeroean Residency

15. Huwelijks-optocht in de Vallei van den Salakh

Wedding procession in the Valley of Salakh

16. Landschap in de Residentie Bantam

Landscape in the Bantam Residency

17. Gezicht op het land Kedong Badak en den grooten weg naar Buitenzorg

View of the land Kedong Badak and the main road to Buitenzorg

18. Dorpsfeest in de omstreken van den Ardjoeno; Residentie Soerabaja

Village festival in the surroundings of Mount Ardjoeno; Soerabaja Residency

19. Landschap bij maneschijn in de omstreken van Sumedang; Preanger regentschappen

Moonlit...