Nectarinia afra (Greater double-collared sunbird) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: This watercolor drawing, possibly from between 1777 and 1786, depicts the "Nectarinia afra," or Greater Double-Collared Sunbird, by Robert Jacob Gordon. It's interesting how meticulously the artist captured the details of both the male and female birds. What do you see in this work that I might be missing? Curator: It's crucial to see these images as more than just scientific illustration. They were deeply embedded in the colonial project. Gordon was a military man and explorer in the service of the Dutch East India Company. Editor: Ah, so the image served more of a political purpose? Curator: Exactly! Consider the power dynamics at play. European powers were keen to catalogue and classify the natural world to support resource extraction and assert control. These images were meant to demonstrate a knowledge and therefore, in their eyes, a right to exploit that knowledge. What about the stylistic choices – the careful realism? What does that convey to you? Editor: I guess it adds to the perception of "objectivity" or "truth," making the colonial claims seem more legitimate. I initially just thought the rendering was neat, but now I see how much more is at stake in even a seemingly simple nature drawing. Curator: Precisely! By documenting the natural world with such precision, Gordon was participating in a larger effort to define and control the resources and populations of the Cape. Reflecting on the legacy, what do we learn when re-contextualizing this kind of "scientific documentation"? Editor: By seeing it in this colonial context, we see that the way we frame art changes everything. The images weren't simply created, but rather created in support of colonial aims. I’ll never see "nature art" the same way again.