Tapir 1825

Isaac van Haastert made this watercolor drawing of a tapir around the turn of the 19th century. During this period, the Dutch Republic was a major colonial power, and the study of natural history was very popular. This image speaks to the social conditions that shape artistic production; Van Haastert was connected to a network of scientists, explorers, and collectors. Colonial administrators and military personnel returning from overseas would bring back specimens for naturalists to study, and there was an increasing demand for detailed illustrations to accompany scientific publications. Van Haastert's tapir reflects both careful observation and the limitations of working from second-hand sources; the tapir's anatomy is generally accurate, but the animal has an oddly generic appearance, perhaps due to the artist never having seen one in person. The tapir and its kind were classified using a Linnaean system of taxonomy at the time, reflecting the West's drive to codify all of nature according to its own understanding.