Cape ewe Possibly 1777 - 1786

Editor: This watercolor and ink drawing, "Cape Ewe," by Robert Jacob Gordon, possibly from the late 1770s or 1780s, presents a portrait of a sheep within its landscape. There's something about its almost clinical rendering that makes me pause. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, the rendering does appear 'clinical', doesn't it? But consider the context: Gordon was a military man and explorer, often tasked with documenting the flora and fauna of the Cape. This drawing wasn't simply art; it was scientific observation shaped by colonial imperatives. What does it mean to catalogue, to name, to claim through representation? Editor: So, it's about the power dynamic inherent in documenting nature? The artist imposing a Western gaze onto the African landscape? Curator: Precisely. Think about the 'objective' scientific gaze as a tool of empire. What is included? What is excluded? What perspective is privileged? The animal is isolated against a somewhat generic landscape. It’s presented as a specimen. What story isn’t being told here? Editor: That’s really interesting. I hadn't considered the act of documentation itself as an assertion of control. The focus on the single animal does feel detached, almost clinical now. I suppose I was initially drawn to the seeming simplicity of the artwork. Curator: It is deceptively simple. By considering the broader historical and social context, we can begin to unpack the layers of meaning embedded within it, revealing complex narratives of power, representation, and the colonial project. Editor: Thanks, that perspective really transforms how I see the drawing. I’ll never look at a natural history illustration the same way again. Curator: And hopefully question what's *not* visible!