Kruseman portrayed Johannes van den Bosch just before his departure to the Dutch East Indies. In his right hand he holds a map of his destination, Java. He instituted a ‘Culture System’ there in 1830. Farmers were coerced into devoting part of their land to export crops, such as coffee and sugar, for the Dutch government. While this income may have benefitted the Netherlands’ treasury, the Indonesian population suffered from corruption, poverty, and famine.