Plate A. XII, from "Deliciae Naturae Selectae" 1751 - 1767

Editor: This is "Plate A. XII, from \"Deliciae Naturae Selectae\"" created sometime between 1751 and 1767 by Georg Wolfgang Knorr. It looks like a watercolor print and drawing of some sort of sea vegetation. I am drawn to the scientific illustration aspect of this. What historical context can you offer for this type of work? Curator: This piece belongs to a fascinating moment where art, science, and burgeoning public interest in the natural world intersected. Think about the role of the museum during this period, not just as a repository, but as a site of spectacle and education for an increasingly broad audience. How do you think botanical drawings contributed to or complicated colonial understandings of the natural world? Editor: That is interesting. I never considered that this might also contribute to colonial scientific investigation, what with the text referring to collections and museums, which seems like places of display more than science, though? Curator: Exactly! It’s crucial to see these prints not just as beautiful objects, but also as documents embedded in the scientific and social projects of their time. They reflected the sponsors taste, be they personal collections or scientific investigations. Who do you think had access to knowledge like this in the 18th Century? Editor: So this kind of piece straddles different worlds - both artistic, scientific and reflective of social standing? I think I see this in a new way now. Curator: Indeed. And that is how the seemingly benign imagery is a mirror of cultural values and knowledge dissemination in its own period, and even for our time.