Haliaetus vocifer (African fish eagle) Possibly 1777 - 1786

Robert Jacob Gordon created this watercolor drawing of a Haliaetus vocifer, or African fish eagle, during his time working for the Dutch East India Company in the late 18th century. Considered a military man first, and a naturalist second, Gordon’s encounters with the African landscape and its inhabitants were mediated through the lens of colonial expansion. His work provides a glimpse into the complex dynamics between European explorers and the environments they sought to document and control. Gordon's detailed rendering of the eagle, perched on a rocky outcrop, reflects a scientific interest in taxonomy and classification that was characteristic of the Enlightenment era. Yet, the image also speaks to a broader narrative of encountering the "exotic" and the act of claiming knowledge about the natural world. What does it mean to categorize and contain a species within the frame of a drawing, to take it out of its natural context? This piece invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of colonialism, science, and representation.