Phoenicopterus ruber roseus (Greater flamingo) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Robert Jacob Gordon depicted this Greater flamingo in watercolor and graphite during his time in South Africa. Gordon, a Dutch explorer and military officer, traveled extensively throughout the Cape, documenting the landscape, flora, and fauna, and engaging with the Indigenous communities he encountered. The flamingo is presented with scientific precision, yet the very act of representation is laden with the power dynamics of colonialism. Gordon's gaze, as a European man, frames the natural world through a lens of ownership and control, transforming living beings into specimens for study. The detailed rendering of the flamingo contrasts with the artist’s erasure of the people inhabiting the same environment, revealing a selective vision that prioritizes natural resources over human presence. Consider how this image contributes to a broader narrative of exploration and exploitation, inviting us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, science, and the legacy of colonialism.