A Japanese colour Nagasaki-e print depicting a Dutch chief with a Javanese servant and a dog in a European landscape

Nagasaki, Edo-period, early 19th century
The title 'Holland Berg en water’, translated as 'Dutch mountain and water’. This is a translation of the Japanese term sansui for 'landscape illustration’.
Colour woodblock print, H. 25.4 x W. 19.6 cm

The Dutch chief is often portrayed in the company of his dog. It had not escaped the notice of the Japanese designers that the dog played an essential role as an animal companion in the lives of the Dutch. Initially, the Japanese considered this association with dogs rather strange, but later they were asked by the Shogun to demonstrate how to teach dogs not only for hunting but also for the performance of tricks.