Zeevogels en zeevissen Possibly 1778 - 1779

Jan Brandes made this drawing of seabirds and fish with pen, ink, and watercolor. It’s one of many folios of natural history observations he created during his time as a clergyman in the Dutch East Indies in the late eighteenth century. The meticulous detail, including inscriptions noting the date and precise appearance of each creature, suggest the careful labor of observation. Brandes wasn’t simply drawing what he saw; he was processing the world through the act of transcription. The thinness of the ink and watercolor washes allows us to see the paper beneath – emphasizing the substrate as a ground for scientific inquiry. Like other such collections, this drawing represents a colonial attitude toward the natural world, one of careful cataloging and ultimate possession. Yet, in the end, what lingers is the delicate beauty of Brandes’s lines and colors, and the evident care he brought to the task. This is a testament to the value of close looking, wherever you find yourself.