Chersine angulata (Angulate tortoise) c. 1777s

Editor: Here we have Robert Jacob Gordon’s watercolor and graphite drawing, “Chersine angulata (Angulate tortoise)”, from around 1777. It's a very precise, detailed rendering of the animal. What historical lenses should we look through when appreciating this drawing? Curator: That precision you noticed speaks volumes. Think about the late 18th century – an era of scientific exploration deeply intertwined with colonialism. How might Gordon’s depiction of this tortoise, meticulously documented, connect to the power dynamics of that time? Was it scientific documentation or a means to possess knowledge of a place and its beings? Editor: So you're suggesting we consider the act of drawing itself as a kind of claiming of knowledge, like a form of power over the natural world? Curator: Exactly! Natural history drawings, especially those created during colonial expeditions, weren't neutral. They were embedded in networks of power, trade, and exploitation. What might the absence of its habitat signify? What’s emphasized and what's left out tells us a lot about the motivations behind its creation. Editor: It seems to remove the tortoise from its context, turning it into a specimen… almost like isolating a population and then studying them. Curator: Precisely. The drawing participates in constructing a particular view of the world, a view which served specific colonial agendas. How does that change your perception of the work? Editor: I see the image not just as a naturalistic representation, but as an object of power. I find it unsettling now, realizing the political implications behind what initially seemed like a harmless image. Curator: And that discomfort, that critical awareness, is key to engaging with art from this period. Questioning the narrative is itself an important method for approaching such artwork. Editor: I’ll definitely keep these dynamics of knowledge and power in mind moving forward!