Dendrobium Falconeri 1885 - 1906

Jean Jules Linden, a 19th-century botanist and horticulturist, renders the Dendrobium Falconeri orchid here. Linden’s era was marked by European colonial expansion and an intense fascination with the natural world. Botanical illustrations like this one served as a tool for cataloging and claiming the resources of colonized lands, often glossing over the labor and knowledge of local populations. While the image presents itself as a scientific document, it is also an aesthetic object, carefully composed with soft colors and delicate lines. The orchid itself, with its exotic beauty, becomes a symbol of both the allure and the exploitation inherent in colonial ventures. Reflecting on our contemporary moment we must ask ourselves how it is possible to admire its aesthetic qualities while confronting its troubling historical context.