Studies of Orchids: Steriphone aurantiaca, Rodrigeria crispa and Scuticaria Hadweni 19th-20th century

Curator: Aren’t these orchid studies by V. Rutten lovely? There’s something so delicate and precise about the drawing. Editor: I think they're haunted by erasure. The half-finished quality hints at a relationship between nature and colonialism; these orchids are pinned down like specimens. Curator: That’s a striking interpretation! To me, that unfinished quality feels more like a celebration of process, a kind of botanical meditation. Editor: Perhaps. But consider the historic context. Botanical art was often commissioned during periods of colonial expansion to catalog natural resources. Curator: Hmmm, I guess it’s a potent reminder that even beauty can hold complex histories. Editor: Precisely, seeing beyond the surface reveals the intricate layers of power dynamics. Curator: Exactly. I shall never look at a botanical drawing the same way again!