Early Modern (1450 CE - 1800 CE)
Africa Online Digital Library
The site’s stated goal is the implementation of emerging best practices in the “American digital library community” in an African context, and it does not disappoint. Indeed, the site demonstrates a rare combination of scholarly sophistication, ease of use, and broad appeal.
Map of Malacca, Châtelain
This is a detail of a map depicting the port of Malacca and the surrounding territories from the Atlas Historique, an expansive Dutch encyclopedia compiled by Henri Abraham Châtelain and first published between 1705 to 1720.
Map of Batavia, Châtelain
This is a detail of a map depicting the Dutch stronghold of Batavia from the Atlas Historique, an expansive Dutch encyclopedia compiled by Henri Abraham Châtelain and first published between 1705 to 1720.
Pieter Cnoll, Batavian Senior Merchant
Painted by Jacob Coeman in 1665, this painting depicts Pieter Cnoll, his Eurasian wife Cornelia van Nijenrode, their two daughters, and two enslaved servants.
The Palmer Family
Painted by Francesco Renaldi in 1786, The Palmer Family depicts Major William Palmer (seated in the center) surrounded by his two bibis, children, and female servants. Bibis are common-law wives of British men in India. Seated to Palmer's left is Bibi Faiz Bakhsh.
Map Section Image Database
The Walker Collection comprises 135 maps, printed between 1511 and 1774, that cover Asia Minor and surrounding areas including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Balkans.
Wetmore Print Collection
While the responsibility of providing historical context for these images remains with the instructor, the images themselves will delight and puzzle students—and, if they are properly prepared, will provide good insight into the historical periods in question as well.
Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts
A rich database site that focuses on iconography (pictorial illustrations of a subject) such as this one offers many teaching and learning possibilities for several humanities disciplines, not just art history.
Biblioteca Ambrosiana
The site is visually attractive and well designed, with straightforward navigation. It provides an introduction to the site and a history of the collection; a database search that scans the collection by artist, subject, and other parameters; and bibliographies for the drawings, for the history of