Hippopotamus amphibius capensis (Hippopotamus) c. 1777

Curator: Looking at this rendering, I can’t help but feel a sense of calm, almost meditative observation. The hippopotamus has such a weighty presence but is depicted in these cool watercolor blues. Editor: The artwork, “Hippopotamus amphibius capensis,” made around 1777 by Robert Jacob Gordon, gives us quite a window into natural history illustration practices of the time. He rendered the subject in both colored pencil and watercolor. What really captures my attention are the annotations written along the borders, detailing careful observations of the animal. Curator: I find myself grappling with this very visual vocabulary. How do we reckon with the history of scientific observation, recognizing the inherently political and sometimes exploitative gaze it carries, particularly within a colonial context? Gordon, a military man in service to the Dutch East India Company, presents such an imposing image of power dynamics. Editor: Precisely. Understanding his background allows us to contextualize these images, right? Gordon meticulously documented what he saw, and this meticulous approach speaks to Enlightenment ideals of cataloging the natural world and imposing a system onto the unknown, reflecting a Western drive to categorize, possess and eventually, control. The landscape seems secondary, further illustrating the era's emphasis on extracting specimens rather than portraying harmonious ecosystems. Curator: It makes one consider where agency lies in an image like this: does it lie with Gordon, framing and capturing the hippo? Or with us, centuries later, reinterpreting his capture within our contemporary lens? Can the hippo in its static portrait, provoke us into imagining the animal existing outside its rendering in colonial infrastructure? Editor: Good question. By acknowledging that images are never neutral and investigating what they hide –the economic incentives and the biases of the time – we create new insights. Curator: Looking at his image then allows us to start envisioning counter narratives, thinking about animal resistance and resilience. Editor: I concur. It reveals so much about our perception of nature over time and our present ability to reassess those dated perspectives.