Pilumna nobilis 1885 - 1906

Jean Jules Linden rendered this image of Pilumna nobilis with expert lithography, but we might ask, what was the public role of botanical illustration in the nineteenth century? The image creates meaning through visual codes. In its time, the work was part of the tradition of natural science that served European expansion. The cultural references are clear: the plant is presented as an object of beauty and scientific interest, but also as a possession of the botanist. The orchid’s allure was intimately tied to its rarity and the challenge of its cultivation, thus mirroring the colonial project of extracting resources from distant lands. As historians, we can use sources such as colonial archives, travel logs, and botanical society records to understand better the relationship between scientific exploration and imperial power. Art becomes meaningful as we appreciate its contingency on social and institutional contexts.