Cattleya nobilior 1885 - 1906

Jean Jules Linden, a 19th-century botanist and horticulturalist, created this image of a Cattleya nobilior orchid. His work coincided with a time of European colonial expansion, of which the study of botany was deeply entrenched. Linden's detailed botanical illustrations reflect both scientific observation and a colonial desire to classify and possess the natural world. While beautiful, the image also raises questions about the politics of representation: Who gets to name, depict, and ultimately control these natural resources? How does this colonial gaze shape our understanding and relationship to the natural world? Consider the complex history embedded in this image—the legacy of colonialism, scientific exploration, and the ways in which the natural world becomes both a source of knowledge and a site of power.