Antique chromolithograph of a coffee plantation in the Indies. One of the key crops grown by the Dutch in the Indies was coffee. Coffee plantations could be found on every island though it is most associated with Java, Sumatra, and Celebes. Indonesia’s rich volcanic soil made it an excellent place for growing coffee. Here, four men are in the process of drying the pulped coffee beans so that it can be roasted to the familiar brown-black bean we brew to make coffee. This type of drying process is still used in Indonesia.

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.

This lithograph is part of a series, view all by clicking HERE