Falco biarmicus ? (Lanner falcon) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: This watercolor and colored pencil drawing is titled "Falco biarmicus ? (Lanner falcon)," made by Robert Jacob Gordon sometime between 1777 and 1786. The detail in the feathers is quite striking, almost scientific in its precision. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, beyond its aesthetic qualities, this drawing acts as a lens through which we can examine the intersection of art, science, and colonial exploration. Gordon, working for the Dutch East India Company, documented the natural world he encountered in Southern Africa. How do you think his position might have influenced his artistic choices? Editor: That's interesting! Perhaps he aimed for accuracy to fulfill a scientific need, which then informed his artistic approach. Did the Company influence what he chose to depict or how? Curator: Undoubtedly. The Company’s economic and political interests dictated the areas Gordon explored and, implicitly, what aspects of the environment were deemed worthy of documentation. Consider the power dynamics at play. The falcon becomes, in a sense, a trophy—a visual record of colonial acquisition and understanding. What does the act of meticulously capturing a specimen like this say about the relationship between colonizer and colonized, human and nature? Editor: It’s like turning a living creature into data, a commodity. Seeing it this way makes the image feel less like a simple depiction and more like an artifact of a particular historical moment. Curator: Precisely. It forces us to confront the complicated legacy of scientific illustration within a colonial context. These images not only shaped European understanding of the world but also legitimized their control over it. Editor: I hadn't considered how much historical context is packed into this one drawing. Now, I'm seeing the piece in a whole new light. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Reflecting on art this way, we better appreciate how deeply art embeds the complexities of power and perspective.