Tππ π²πππ πππ’π πππππ πΊππππ ππ πππ π°ππ πππ πΆππππ, π΄πππππ πΉπππ, ππππ ….Illustrated by the leading Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) artist of the 19th Century, J. L. K. van Dort in 1886.
The composition by van Dort is arranged almost theatrically. At the far left, the ocean opens wide, calm, expansive, luminous. It occupies less physical space than the figures, yet it dominates the emotional field of the image.
On the rocky outcrop stand three Kandyan men in traditional attire: headcloths, draped garments, two holding a staff. Their bodies lean forward slightly, drawn toward the horizon. The leading figure, an elderly man steps closest to the edge, almost tentative, as if unsure whether the land continues.
Behind them, women and attendants gather, one holding a palm-leaf fan, another clutching her drapery. Their faces show restraint and curiosity. No one gestures wildly. The emotion is internalized, awe rendered through posture rather than exaggeration.
To the right, palms and vegetation frame the scene, grounding it in tropical Colombo. The sea itself is almost understated: flat, pale, endless.
This is not just a topographical illustration. It is about encounter.
For centuries, the Kandyan Kingdom was geographically insulated within the central hills. Travel to the coast was not casual. The journey from Kandy to Colombo in the early 19th century was long, uncomfortable, and politically charged. The ocean was not part of their daily imagination. Their world was mountainous, enclosed, intimate. The sea represented trade, colonial power, exposure, modernity and the world not known.
Mutwal, being one of the highest points in Colombo at the time, becomes symbolically significant. It is a threshold space, neither hill country nor fully maritime, but a vantage point. A place of revelation.
The moment likely reflects post-1815 Ceylon, after the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom. Hill elites travelling to colonial Colombo would have experienced not just urban difference, but maritime exposure. The sea was the artery of empire. Their astonishment is restrained, which makes it more powerful. This is a civilization encountering scale beyond its lived geography.
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A NOTE From Michael Roberts, 20 February 2026
This is the first time that I have seen a reference to this book of the year 2019. It would be useful to have reviews of this work as well as illustrations taken from it.
JLK Van Dort’s sketching work is both entertaining and enlightening. He can be classed on the same erudite plane with CA Lorenz, theΒ Nell Brothers, Charles Ferdinands, Leopold Ludovici et al. [see People Inbetween by Roberts, Colin-Thome & Raheem, Ratmalana, Saravi Publishersv, 1989].
Let me also add a pertinent sidelight. I was born and bred within the Fort of Galle. Its ramparts and the seas around it on three sides were my playing ground and familiar terrritory. On occasions we used to see villagers from the interior of Galle District gazing at the sea in fascination….. a first encounterΒ one suspects.Β
ALSO NOTE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kandy
https://dl.lib.uom.lk/items/3ac287b5-0bf9-430a-9063-5671a2eacabd/full
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When Primordial man first encountered the Ocean, he flung his spear at it. When he failed to quell the roar – he worshipped it. Greek mythology bequeathed us Poseidon and his trident. The first time AWE of the Ocean is buried deep in our atavistic race memory.