The Purple Jack Daw (Gracula Quiscula) Possibly 1731 - 1743

Mark Catesby made this watercolor of ‘The Purple Jack Daw’ in the first half of the eighteenth century. Catesby was an English naturalist who travelled extensively in the American colonies, documenting the flora and fauna of the New World. This image reflects the growing scientific interest in natural history during the Enlightenment. But the image also speaks to the colonial context of its creation. Catesby’s voyage was funded by the Royal Society, a British scientific institution keen to understand the resources of the colonies. The image presents the bird as a specimen to be examined and classified. The inclusion of the common name is revealing. ‘Jackdaw’ is a European bird. This implies that the bird can be understood and controlled through naming. Understanding the social history of institutions like the Royal Society is vital to understanding art like this. We can learn to see them as products of a particular time and place, and not just as neutral representations of nature.