Antique chromolithograph of The Michiels-monument, once the focal point of the Waterlooplein in the old Batavia. Dedicated to the memory of Andreas Victor Michiels, a successful military man and the model for the character of General Van Damme in Multatuli’s Max Havelaar. Similar monuments were erected in Surabaya and in Padang, the latter specifically because he was the Governor of West Sumatra. All three were later melted down during Japanese occupation and turned into weapons for the war.

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.