Een krab, een schaar van een krab en twee schilden van schildpadden 1726 - 1779

Johann Gustav Hoch made this watercolor and gouache painting of sea creatures on paper sometime in the 18th century. During this era, natural history was a popular area of study and collecting, often tied to European colonial expansion and exploitation of resources. Hoch's work exists within this context, as Europeans sought to classify and understand the natural world. However, these scientific explorations were deeply entwined with social and economic power structures. How do we interpret the act of observing and documenting nature, knowing it was often linked to colonial projects and the extraction of resources from distant lands and people? The image shows great attention to detail, reflecting both artistic skill and scientific curiosity. Yet, it also reminds us of the complex relationship between humans and the environment, between knowledge and power. Think about the hands that collected these specimens. Consider the historical forces that shaped both the artwork and our understanding of nature.