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Gerrit Schouten (1779-1839), 'The waterfront at Pa

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Gerrit Schouten (1779-1839), 'The waterfront at Paramaribo, Surinam', a painted papier mache diorama, signed and dated 1820 on label, in gilt wood and stained case, 60 cm high, 90 cm wide, 34 cm deep Provenance: By descent from William Leckie, an English merchant who settled in Surinam in the early 19th century. Surinam in South America was originally settled by the British in 1630 and in 1650 Paramaribo was declared the capital. The port was established as a major centre of trade for the export of gold, sugar, rice and tropical woods to the European market. By 1815 Surinam was under Dutch rule and remained so until independence in 1975. The architecture depicted in the diorama clearly shows this Dutch influence and provides an interesting historical record as a large part of the waterkant was destroyed by fire in 1832. William Leckie settled in Surinam after eloping with a married woman, Mrs Jane Ann Gill. Presumably, he considered Surinam to be distant enough to avoid the scandal that no doubt would have ensued. According to his will, Leckie had a daughter, Ann, with Jane Gill, to whom he bequeathed two thousand pounds. He also made provision for his two slaves, Bruno and Henry, granting them freedom after a period of seven years service to Mrs Gill. Of Dutch descent, Gerrit Schouten was a native of Surinam. He was primarily a botanical illustrator, though also constructed dioramas presumably to commission. William Leckie is depicted in this diorama in conversation with another gentleman to the right of the scene. Many of Schouten's dioramas are on a small scale illustrating village festivals and festival life; large scale works such as this are unusual. There are a number of Surinam dioramas in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and Teylers museum, Haarlem.

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