The Red Mottled Rock-crab (Cancer grapsus) Possibly 1731 - 1743

Mark Catesby, the English naturalist, created this engraving of two Red Mottled Rock-crabs in the early 18th century. Catesby was among the first to document the flora and fauna of the New World, yet his work reveals much about the colonial gaze of the time. These crabs, rendered with scientific precision, are also specimens, removed from their natural context. They are presented for European eyes, reflecting a desire to categorize and control the natural world. The very act of naming and classifying asserts a kind of dominion, subtly mirroring the broader colonial project. Consider the emotional distance in this depiction, a coolness that perhaps speaks to the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. Catesby’s work, while scientifically valuable, is also a cultural artifact, embodying the complex dynamics of exploration, power, and representation.