Stapelia hirsuta (L.) (Starfish flower) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: Here we have Robert Jacob Gordon’s *Stapelia hirsuta*, likely from between 1777 and 1786, rendered with watercolor and coloured pencil. It strikes me as a rather peculiar botanical illustration—almost alien in its presentation of the starfish flower. What captures your attention most about this work? Curator: You know, “peculiar” is spot on! It's easy to look at this botanical illustration and see only meticulous scientific record-keeping. But I think it is infused with Gordon's personal experience in South Africa. The choice to position it en plein air captures the plant's inherent, wild context and allows the drawing to transcend sterile classification and speak of a richer natural and even subjective truth. Doesn't it almost have a portrait-like quality? Editor: A portrait! I hadn’t considered it that way, but I can see what you mean—the arrangement, almost a composition more than just observation, suggests an attempt at characterising the plant. Do you see the strange forms as symbolic of anything specific? Curator: Well, its common name is Starfish flower, and it stinks like rotting flesh! It attracts flies for pollination – talk about subversive beauty! This pungent contradiction of attraction and repulsion mirrors the complex relationship early explorers had with the African landscape. Maybe Gordon captured some of that conflict. What do you think? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. I initially focused on its strangeness as an illustration, but framing it within the context of exploration and experience adds another dimension. It feels more… alive, in a way. Curator: Exactly! Art always reveals more when you step into its world and let it challenge your own. Editor: I’ll remember that. Thanks so much!