Vanda Sanderiana var Labello Viridi 1885 - 1906

Jean Jules Linden created this botanical illustration of the Vanda Sanderiana var Labello Viridi, an orchid. During the 19th century, botanical art flourished with the expansion of European colonialism, fueling scientific exploration and the exploitation of natural resources in colonized lands. Linden, a Belgian botanist, specialized in orchids, a flower associated with luxury and exoticism. It’s difficult to look at an image like this outside the legacies of colonialism, where nature, like women and people of color, becomes an object of appropriation. The orchid's sensual curves and vibrant colors have often been read as feminine, mirroring societal views of women as objects of beauty and desire. This botanical portrayal invites us to consider how it reflects the societal and historical gaze that frames nature as a symbol of colonial and gendered power dynamics.