Galerella pulverulenta or Herpestes pulverulentus (Cape gray mongoose) Possibly 1777 - 1778

Curator: Robert Jacob Gordon’s “Galerella pulverulenta or Herpestes pulverulentus (Cape gray mongoose)” made around 1777 or 1778 is a wonderfully precise portrait. Gordon captured this animal using colored pencil in a drawing. It gives me a somewhat unsettling feeling... Editor: Unsettling? How so? To me, it evokes something completely different; it exudes calm. I find myself admiring the control with which the fur is depicted; the fine details of the fur’s texture must have required tremendous effort. But unsettling? Curator: Yes, it’s beautifully executed, absolutely! But the mongoose, with that gleaming gold chain around its neck, feels…restricted, like a prized possession. A little spark of sorrow pierces my initial appreciation, I suppose. I notice that its back left foot is hardly on the "table", which is so small anyway! Also the table on which it stands is so stark, creating a sensation that perhaps something is off with the reality the artist creates. Editor: Ah, I see your point. The chain is certainly symbolic of power dynamics, isn't it? This was a period of intense colonial exploration, after all. And consider that the illustration is so stark, a formal almost scientific recording. How might that contrast with the animal's inherent wildness? Curator: Precisely. This little tableau seems a stand-in for the broader themes of colonialism, where even something wild gets carefully contained and labeled. We're viewing it through a specific lens and perhaps losing the essence of it as something independent. I find the choice of medium fascinating too – the gentle softness of colored pencil ironically making it feel that the animal is rendered still more harmless. Editor: Yes, the softness emphasizes a peculiar sense of domination in what should be something quite raw! It seems an assertion, even, of power over the natural world, translated into delicate lines. Curator: I'll never look at a mongoose the same way again. A picture says a thousand colonial things, right? Editor: Exactly. Gordon’s work makes us consider these histories. Art that prompts you to challenge accepted histories remains incredibly powerful.