Landschap met waterval en drinkend luipaard 1869

Johan Conrad Greive made this watercolor landscape featuring a waterfall and drinking leopard. Watercolor paintings like this were popular souvenirs, reminding Europeans of their travels. The subtle gradations of tone and texture required a deft hand, but not the years of training demanded by oil painting. This meant that while watercolor still had a certain prestige, it was relatively accessible. Its portability also made it an excellent medium for artists on the move – in this case, apparently Java, as the inscription at the bottom of the work indicates. Notably, there is an economy of labor here. This picture isn’t only of a landscape, but an *industry* that commodified images of the places where Europeans were busy colonizing, extracting resources, and establishing trade. It's a beautiful scene, but also a product of its time, reflective of the relationship between the West and the wider world. Ultimately, the artwork prompts us to think about how modes of representation relate to social and economic realities.