Lachenalia aloides (L.f.) Engl. (Opal flower) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: This watercolor drawing, "Lachenalia aloides (L.f.) Engl. (Opal flower)," was created sometime between 1777 and 1786 by Robert Jacob Gordon. It's a beautiful, simple botanical illustration, almost clinical in its precision, yet very graceful. What do you see in this piece, and how might its visual simplicity carry cultural meaning? Curator: Its simplicity is deceptive, isn't it? On the surface, it's a realistic depiction. But consider the time it was made. Botanical illustrations like this weren't just scientific records; they were also about capturing the exotic, bringing the wonders of the Cape back to Europe through visual representation. Think of what this specific bloom *meant* to those who saw it for the first time in drawn form! Editor: So the flower itself becomes a symbol? Curator: Exactly. Think of flowers in art history, their symbolic weight – lilies for purity, roses for love. This Opal flower, documented so meticulously, might represent the allure of exploration, the exoticism of South Africa. The scientific exactness lends a sense of authority, visually “possessing” the flower for European eyes. Editor: I see, it's not just about the flower; it’s about claiming knowledge, too. Is there something particular about watercolor as a medium, or 'plein-air', to add to this point? Curator: Watercolor, easily transportable, aligns with the on-site immediacy and ‘realism’ of plein-air, reinforcing the claim to accurate observation. And in this artwork’s particular visual, don't those two, tall opposed leaves *frame* the flowers centrally in an imposing display? Gordon probably intended those leaves to visually "display" this exotic object to viewers for ages to come. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered, but it reframes how I view botanical art of this period entirely! Curator: Indeed. What was originally intended to be an illustration in "realism" can instead carry great emotional, psychological, and even colonialist symbolic meanings, still valuable centuries later!