Quirijn Maurits Rudolph VerHuell (1787-1860)
“Coraal krabben van het Eiland Diego Garcia”
Signed and titled
Watercolour on paper, H. 22 x 28.5 cm
VerHuell was a Dutch naval officer, author, painter, entomologist, and collector of natural history specimens. In 1802, at the age of fifteen, he enlisted in the Batavian Navy as a cadet under his uncle, Admiral Carel Hendrik VerHuell. He rapidly advanced in his career, attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1807 and serving as Adjutant to Rear-Admiral Buyskes, who had been designated Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies by King Louis Bonaparte, the king of the Netherlands under the French occupation. Following the conclusion of the French occupation of Holland, VerHuell enlisted in the reinstated Dutch Navy as a captain lieutenant and, in 1815, was dispatched to the East Indies to succeed the English forces that had controlled the Dutch East Indies. In 1817, he participated in the quelling of the Saparua revolt led by Pattimura against the Dutch colonial administration. Following the defeat of the insurgents and the execution of their leaders, including Pattimura, VerHuell developed an affection for Pattimura’s daughter, Christina Martha; nevertheless, she viewed him and other Dutch individuals with disdain. Following the conclusion of the campaign, VerHuell's vessel, the Admiral Evertsen, required extensive repairs, allowing VerHuell to utilise his leisure time to explore the Indonesian archipelago and its natural marvels, producing several sketches and watercolours while collecting various zoological and botanical specimens.
In early March 1819, VerHuell departed for Patria (Fatherland), carrying not only his own collection of naturalia but also an extensive assortment of plants and seeds intended for the Hortus Botanicus of Leiden University. The Admiral Evertsen, however, remained unfit for sea, merely arriving to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where it was abandoned and subsequently destroyed, resulting in the loss of all collections on board. Prior to his rescue, VerHuell spent six weeks in Diego Garcia, during which he created several sketches of the atoll's natural marvels, including the current watercolour of the crabs.
Signed and titled
Watercolour on paper, H. 22 x 28.5 cm
VerHuell was a Dutch naval officer, author, painter, entomologist, and collector of natural history specimens. In 1802, at the age of fifteen, he enlisted in the Batavian Navy as a cadet under his uncle, Admiral Carel Hendrik VerHuell. He rapidly advanced in his career, attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1807 and serving as Adjutant to Rear-Admiral Buyskes, who had been designated Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies by King Louis Bonaparte, the king of the Netherlands under the French occupation. Following the conclusion of the French occupation of Holland, VerHuell enlisted in the reinstated Dutch Navy as a captain lieutenant and, in 1815, was dispatched to the East Indies to succeed the English forces that had controlled the Dutch East Indies. In 1817, he participated in the quelling of the Saparua revolt led by Pattimura against the Dutch colonial administration. Following the defeat of the insurgents and the execution of their leaders, including Pattimura, VerHuell developed an affection for Pattimura’s daughter, Christina Martha; nevertheless, she viewed him and other Dutch individuals with disdain. Following the conclusion of the campaign, VerHuell's vessel, the Admiral Evertsen, required extensive repairs, allowing VerHuell to utilise his leisure time to explore the Indonesian archipelago and its natural marvels, producing several sketches and watercolours while collecting various zoological and botanical specimens.
In early March 1819, VerHuell departed for Patria (Fatherland), carrying not only his own collection of naturalia but also an extensive assortment of plants and seeds intended for the Hortus Botanicus of Leiden University. The Admiral Evertsen, however, remained unfit for sea, merely arriving to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where it was abandoned and subsequently destroyed, resulting in the loss of all collections on board. Prior to his rescue, VerHuell spent six weeks in Diego Garcia, during which he created several sketches of the atoll's natural marvels, including the current watercolour of the crabs.
