A kite 1755

This is Aert Schouman's watercolor of "A Kite", but we don't know exactly when he made it. Schouman lived during a time of burgeoning scientific exploration and classification, a period when artists were often tasked with visually documenting the natural world. Schouman was a significant figure in the Dutch Republic, an era marked by colonial expansion and trade. It's difficult to look at images like this and ignore the fact that the natural world was often being cataloged in the service of colonial projects. There is a tension here between the artistic appreciation of nature and the scientific, often exploitative, gaze. What does it mean to observe and document, and how does that act of observation shape our relationship with the observed? Schouman’s decision to portray the kite with such detail invites us to consider our relationship with the natural world. Is it one of respect, or domination, or perhaps something in between? This piece invites us to reflect on these complex questions.