Lachenalia aloides (L.f.) Engl. var. aloides (Opal flowers) Possibly 1777 - 1786

This is a watercolor and ink drawing of Lachenalia aloides, or Opal flowers, made by Robert Jacob Gordon in the late 18th century. The materials are simple: paper, pigment, pen. Yet the effect is one of careful, almost scientific observation. The evenness of tone, thinness of line, and controlled mark-making all contribute to the drawing's precise quality. The artist has built up the image through a meticulous process, layering thin washes of color to capture the plant’s form and texture. Notice how the speckled leaves have been rendered with painstaking detail, each mark meticulously placed to mimic the natural variegation of the plant. And see how the artist has carefully dissected the flower itself to show its reproductive organs in detail. This approach reflects a desire to document and understand the natural world. While ostensibly objective, it’s important to note the colonial context in which Gordon was working, as a commander in the Dutch East India Company. This work would have served the purpose of expanding European knowledge, and by extension, control, over the landscape and its resources. It reminds us of the labor and social structures that were imbricated with scientific study.