Sylvicapra grimmia (Common Duiker) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: This lovely drawing, possibly from 1777 to 1786, is entitled "Sylvicapra grimmia (Common Duiker)," by Robert Jacob Gordon, executed in ink, watercolor, and colored pencil on paper. There's an almost clinical precision in the way the duiker is rendered. What insights can you offer? Curator: It's fascinating how this image participates in a longer history of colonial scientific illustration. Think about what it meant to classify and document species for European audiences during this period. Gordon, working under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company, wasn’t just creating a "realistic" depiction; he was producing data within a system of knowledge. What does the inclusion of the scale suggest? Editor: Perhaps a sense of objective measure? It also strikes me that while the animal itself is rendered with such detail, the background seems minimal and somewhat generic. Curator: Exactly. This wasn’t just about capturing the "essence" of the duiker. Consider who the primary audience would be: Europeans, not necessarily familiar with Southern African landscapes. What kind of power dynamic does that suggest in terms of who gets to define this environment, and for what purpose? Editor: So, the image functions on multiple levels: a zoological record but also a subtle assertion of European dominion and control. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us that even seemingly neutral scientific depictions can be deeply embedded within specific power structures. The image served to inform, but also to reinforce a colonial gaze. Editor: I see what you mean! It gives me a lot to reflect upon. Thanks for shedding light on the historic, social, and political contexts that inform this captivating artwork.