recto Diceros bicornis bicornis (Black rhinoceros; male) after 2

Robert Jacob Gordon made this pen and ink drawing of a Black Rhinoceros, in South Africa, sometime before his death in 1795. Gordon was a Dutch explorer, military officer, and naturalist, who served the Dutch East India Company. This image, rendered with scientific precision, reflects the Enlightenment’s drive to classify the natural world. Note the inscription in Dutch above the rhino, suggesting this was part of a larger scientific project. The rhino, indigenous to the African continent, becomes an object of study, categorized and measured for European audiences. Gordon’s role within the Dutch East India Company underscores the intertwined nature of scientific exploration and colonial expansion. Understanding this drawing requires considering the context of European colonialism and the scientific institutions that propelled it. Resources in natural history museums and colonial archives can shed further light on the complex history embedded in this image. It's a stark reminder that even seemingly objective depictions of nature are shaped by social, political, and economic forces.