Anthropoides paradisea (Blue crane or Stanley crane) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: Here we have "Anthropoides paradisea (Blue crane or Stanley crane)," a watercolor and drawing on paper, possibly from between 1777 and 1786, by Robert Jacob Gordon. It's really quite striking! The crane is so delicately rendered in shades of blue, standing against a backdrop of muted landscape. I'm particularly drawn to its graceful posture; it's elegant yet a little melancholy, wouldn't you say? What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Melancholy... yes! It's like catching a fleeting glimpse of a dream, isn't it? You know, these birds were often observed during scientific expeditions – and those expeditions themselves, while supposedly objective, carried within them a sense of longing and the romance of discovery, no? That soft focus, the detailed bird, and impressionistic mountains… is it South Africa, or a projection of longing for home? The mountains sort of fade, they recede like memories themselves, and this singular blue, the imagined South Africa - is there any symbolism that emerges? Editor: That’s a fascinating point! The crane’s clarity against the blurred landscape... Perhaps it emphasizes humanity's impulse to observe and classify, juxtaposed against nature’s immensity and unknowability. Curator: Exactly! And it tickles a part of me... I think of that word "paradisea" in the title - the implication is almost, well, tongue-in-cheek! Editor: You're right; it's a far cry from a classical paradise, more a wistful echo of one! I love that tension between scientific observation and a hint of romantic melancholy. It gives such depth to what could easily have been a purely illustrative piece. Curator: It certainly does, doesn't it? A blue crane dreaming of paradise. It makes you wonder about all the hidden layers within these old scientific studies, wouldn't you agree?