File:Blood on Four Flags.jpg
Summary
| Description |
English: 1945 Chapin map of Java, Indonesia during World War II for TIME Magazine.
The work titled "Blood on Four Flags" is a pictorial wall map created by R.M. Chapin Jr. in 1945, published by Time magazine. The map measures 93 cm in width and 85 cm in height. It is part of a report featured in the October 29, 1945 issue of Time. The "Pub List No" for this work is 12391.000, and the "List No" is 12391.000 as well. The map employs a dramatic and illustrative style to convey its message. It prominently features the Netherlands East Indies, highlighting the islands of Sumatra and Java. The use of red, particularly in the depiction of blood dripping from certain areas, symbolizes conflict and violence. Four flags are depicted, representing the Netherlands, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, symbolizing the various powers involved in the region during World War II. Inscriptions: Notable inscriptions include "The Netherlands East Indies," "9,900 miles," and "72,000,000 Natives," providing context about the distance from the Netherlands and the population of the region. Blood Symbolism: Red drips from the flags and certain locations (Batavia, Semarang, Surabaya), symbolizing violence or bloodshed in these areas. Resources: The map notes resources like rubber, oil, sugar, coffee, quinine, and coal, emphasizing the economic significance of the region. The map was created in the immediate aftermath of World War II, during a period of transition and conflict in the Indonesian archipelago. The Netherlands East Indies was a Dutch colony, and the map reflects the geopolitical tensions and struggles for control following the Japanese occupation during the war. The depiction of various flags indicates the competing interests of colonial and global powers in the region. “Blood on Four Flags” shows the Netherlands East Indies as a prize fought over by Dutch, Japanese, British and US interests. Red ink equals blood, islands equal resources, and nationalism (Soekarnoites) is already rising. Cartography as propaganda |
| Date | |
| Source | https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~299462~90070602:Blood-on-Four-Flags- |
| Author | M. Chapin, Jr. |
Licensing
 |
This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1931 and 1963, and although there may or may not have been a copyright notice, the copyright was not renewed. For further explanation, see Commons:Hirtle chart and the copyright renewal logs.
|
 |
