The Great Traveller Charles Alexandre Lesueur in the Forest 

Karl Bodmer made "The Great Traveller Charles Alexandre Lesueur in the Forest" without indicating the date. This engraving captures Lesueur in the midst of his travels in the American wilderness. The work raises questions about the identity of the explorer set against the backdrop of untamed nature. Lesueur, an explorer and naturalist, devoted his life to scientific exploration, but here we see him with a gun, accompanied by hunting dogs, an ambiguous representation of a man of science in the New World. The gaze into the distance evokes the idea of discovery but also of the colonialist expansion that dispossessed indigenous people of their lands. This image captures a moment laden with cultural and historical complexities, blurring the lines between scientific discovery and the exploitation of natural resources. It invites us to reflect on the cost of exploration and the narratives that shape our understanding of history and identity.