Reis naar Suriname: beschrijving van de Nederlandse bezittingen in Guyana : een facsimile-editie naar de oorspronkelijke uitgave van de Voyage à Surinam van P.J. Benoit

Abstract

In 1839, 'Voyage à Surinam', the description of Suriname by the Belgian painter and draftsman Pierre Jacques Benoit, was published, illustrated with a hundred beautiful lithographs based on his drawings. It is a journalistic report in words and images of the country and its population groups in general. their customs, celebrations and rituals, but also of slavery. It is considered one of the most beautiful paintings about Suriname with detailed and informative illustrations of daily life and nature. Especially when it comes to our colonial history, images can help to explain the stratification , complexity and nuance. Benoit's work is one of the most important 'picture books' from the Surinamese library. This history is certainly important now - in the light of the commemoration of 160 years of the abolition of slavery and the ongoing process of reassessing our colonial history - in the spotlight. That is why this reissue - 'Journey through Suriname' - of this iconic book is of historical and social importance for the general public