Geranium spinosum Possibly 1777 - 1786

This is Robert Jacob Gordon’s botanical illustration of a Geranium spinosum. Gordon was a Dutch explorer, military officer, and naturalist of Scottish descent, who worked for the Dutch East India Company in the late 18th century. As a European man in Africa, he navigated a complex colonial landscape. He was part of a system that often exploited both the land and its people. Gordon’s explorations and documentations were not neutral; they were intrinsically linked to colonial expansion and resource extraction. This drawing of the Geranium spinosum embodies this complexity. It is both a scientific record and a symbol of colonial engagement with the natural world. The delicate rendering belies the complicated history of scientific exploration during the colonial era. It prompts us to consider whose perspectives were valued and whose were marginalized in these endeavors.