Ornithology 18th-19th century

Curator: Thomas Rowlandson's "Ornithology," a pen and ink wash drawing from the Harvard Art Museums, presents a series of caricatured faces. Editor: It’s…unsettling. Are those supposed to be birds blended with human features? The expressions range from goofy to downright sinister. Curator: Indeed. Rowlandson, known for his satirical eye, critiques societal types by blending human physiognomy with avian features. Consider the era's fascination with scientific classification. Editor: It feels like a cruel parody of Linnaean taxonomy. The subjugation of nature and the reduction of humans to types, all rolled into one. Is he mocking scientific hubris? Curator: In part, yes. Rowlandson often lampooned the elite, using grotesque imagery to expose their follies and vanity. The grotesque, in his view, often revealed societal truth. Editor: I see how Rowlandson uses hybridity to challenge established power dynamics. It's more than just ornithology; it's a commentary on human nature, class, and power. Curator: Precisely. The drawing highlights how seemingly objective scientific endeavors can be tools for social commentary. Editor: It reminds us that even in seemingly neutral fields like science, biases and power structures are always at play. Curator: Absolutely. Rowlandson encourages us to scrutinize the lenses through which we view the world. Editor: I'll certainly think twice about the politics of imagery after this encounter.