Focus on Het Kasteel van Batavia and analyze the History.
In 1657, Beeckman was stationed in Batavia as a VOC soldier. In 1658, Beeckman returned to Amsterdam and using his sketches which he created in Batavia as a reference, he created Het Kasteel van Batavia in the Netherlands. Beeckman created the work following a commission by the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC who wanted a painting to decorate the meeting room of the East Indies House in Amsterdam. He probably created the painting between 1662-1663.In 1688, John George III, Elector of Saxony received permission from the Amsterdam Chamber to copy the paintings from the meeting room of the East Indies House, including Beeckman's Het Kasteel van Batavia. The painting De markt van Batavia which is currently kept in the Tropenmuseum is the result of the copy. This painting is signed J.F.F. and has an inscription on a boat 'De marckt van Batavia'. Although the painting of De markt van Batavia is traditionally attributed to Beeckman, it does not correspond stylistically to his work and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of this signature. The painting De markt van Batavia is therefore not an exact copy of Beeckman's Het Kasteel van Batavia, but a work that is based on both Beeckman's original in the Rijksmuseum and Beeckman's costumes series, a series of painting depicting the costume of the inhabitants of Batavia.
Amsterdam John George III, Elector of Saxony VOC East Indies House Rijksmuseum Tropenmuseum painting Batavia