Dutch slavery exhibition confronts brutal past

via Jakarta Post, 18 May 2021: A new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum tells the story of Dutch colonialism through slavery.

A set of leg irons that once chained slaves by the ankles for punishment. A pair of Rembrandt portraits of a rich Dutch couple dressed in slavery-funded finery.

Dozens of objects like these go on show on Tuesday at the Dutch national Rijksmuseum as it opens a landmark exhibition on slavery highlighting the Netherlands’ dark colonial past.

Focusing on the stories of 10 people ranging from enslaved people to slave owners, the show covers 250 years of Dutch involvement in slavery in Suriname, Brazil, the Caribbean, Asia and South Africa.

Called simply “Slavery”, the exhibit traces the 10 individual stories using both objects from the Rijksmuseum’s collection — some never seen before — and from other museums.

Source: Dutch slavery exhibition confronts brutal past – Art & Culture – The Jakarta Post