Ceylons eekhoorntje Possibly 1785

Jan Brandes captured this watercolor and ink drawing of a Sri Lankan squirrel around 1785. Brandes, a clergyman for the Dutch East India Company, provides us with a glimpse into the intersection of natural history and colonial power. This image, part of a larger visual compendium, reflects the scientific and economic interests driving Dutch exploration in Ceylon. Brandes’ detailed rendering of the squirrel is not merely an act of documentation; it is an assertion of dominion over the natural world, a process deeply entangled with the colonial project. Consider the emotional distance in Brandes' depiction. While meticulous, the squirrel is presented as a specimen, stripped of its agency and reduced to an object of study and potential exploitation. What does it mean to classify and catalogue the world? Brandes’ drawing invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between knowledge, power, and the natural world.