Cucumaria (zeekomkommer) en een zeelelie before 1879

This lithograph of a sea cucumber and a crinoid, or sea lily, is by Maurits Verveer. Although undated, it speaks to the surge of scientific exploration of the natural world that peaked in the 19th Century. At first glance, the work appears to be a straightforward documentation. Yet, there's a quiet commentary on the act of observation itself. Consider the emotional and personal dimensions of Verveer's work, and what these reveal about the nature of scientific inquiry. The lithograph invites a dialogue between the objective distance of scientific study, and the subjective lens through which we perceive and interpret the world. It challenges us to consider the politics of seeing, questioning whose perspectives and interpretations are legitimized within the scientific community, and how these influence our understanding of nature.