Antique chromolithograph of a residence of the KNIL commander in Batavia. The Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (KNIL) was the military force responsible for the defence and expeditionary tasks of the Dutch East Indies. It was not part of the Royal Netherlands Army and was only active in the Indies. At its foundation the KNIL was to consist of Europeans and natives in equal proportion but by the 1830s there were three natives for each European soldier. Later members include Arabs, Chinese, and even Africans, the so-called “Belanda Hitam.”

Published in Leiden, the Netherlands, after a water drawing by J.C. Rappard,

Jhr. Josias Cornelis Rappard (1824-1898) was a colonel in the KNIL and a painter. During his posting in the Netherlands Indies 1842-1872, he painted and drew pictures of life and scenes in the Indies that were later, back in Leiden, The Netherlands, would be made into chromolithographs. The Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam holds a large number of these prints and collectors all over the world appreciate Rappard's classic watercolours.

Chromolithography was a popular method for colour printing in the 19th century because of its lower cost and relative ease to mass-produce. The process involves the use of stones and a chemical process to fasten images to the paper. High-end chromolithographs are hand-finished by an artist after the process to ensure the best possible fidelity in each copy.