Before he was known as the man whose funny-sounding name made you giggle during social studies class, William Farquhar was a patron of the arts. Farquhar, the First Resident and Commandant of Melaka (and later Singapore), was Sir Stamford Raffles’ right-hand man. As such, he was entrusted with managing the colony when Raffles left. And during his tenure, from 1819 to 1823, Farquhar commissioned a series of drawings of the flora and fauna of the ‘Far East’ in painstakingly accurate detail. 

Stretching beyond his official government role, Farquhar proved himself a man of vision, as these realistic portrayals ended up playing a vital part in the classification of Singapore’s natural history. 

‘Empire of Nature’ presents the first time all 477 artworks will be available for public viewing; the exhibit was conceived to commemorate the National Museum of Singapore’s 120th anniversary celebrations this year. What gave the drawings intriguing visual proposition was the fusion of a stylised Chinese approach with Western realism. For instance, images of rambutans or red chillies growing on trees and the maturing process of the humble ginger – roots, shoots and all – are interpreted from a rather skewed and surreal perspective. While the depth of detail captured is a trait of Western realism, the way the drawings are interpreted and executed with a distinctive Asian feel suggests a subtle surrealism. No wonder, then, that it’s been said that these are the early products of an artistic union between East and West – commissioned by a Westerner, but executed by Chinese artists. 

Showcasing the drawings is especially apt, as the historically rich collection has changed hands just three times in its 188- year existence. It was first bequeathed to the Royal Asiatic Society by Farquhar and then purchased by philanthropist and current chairman of the National Museum Board, G.K. Goh, at a Sotheby’s auction in 1993. Three years later, Goh gifted it to the National Museum of Singapore. Particularly laudable were his efforts in bringing then-unknown foreign species to the attention of Western scientists. 

‘Empire of Nature’ is on view at Exhibition Gallery 1, National Museum of Singapore, from 7 Sep to 21 Oct.