Five Shells 1800 - 1861

Here are five shells rendered in watercolor on paper by George Jacobus Johannes van Os. Van Os was working during a period of intense colonial expansion and scientific exploration. These shells, carefully arranged, are not simply objects of beauty. They are specimens, trophies of the natural world brought back to Europe from distant lands, often through exploitative means. What stories do these shells hold, wrenched from their homes and placed under the artist's gaze? The scientific gaze of the 18th and 19th centuries often objectified the natural world. Consider how our understanding of the world is shaped by the power dynamics inherent in acts of collecting and categorizing. These shells invite us to reflect on the complex relationship between humans and the environment, reminding us that even the most seemingly innocent images can carry the weight of history and exploitation.