Het Eiland onrust, naby Batavia

Mathias de Sallieth was a Prague-born engraver active in the Netherlands, where he produced topographical views, portraits, historical prints, and book illustrations. This view of Het Eiland Onrust, naby Batavia was engraved by Sallieth after a 1772 drawing by Hendrik Kobell Jr.

The print shows Onrust Island, a small island in Batavia Bay off the north coast of Java. Onrust was an important Dutch East India Company site, used for ship repair, storage, and maritime support for vessels operating through Batavia. The island’s name, meaning “unrest” or “without rest, ” was associated with the constant movement of shipping, labour, and repair work around the anchorage.

The view is taken from the water, with ships, boats, and harbour activity in the foreground and the island settlement behind. Masts, hulls, small craft, and figures moving across the water place the island within the working maritime environment of Batavia rather than presenting it as an isolated landscape. The buildings and shoreline are framed by heavy clouds and busy water, giving the scene both topographical interest and visual drama.