In the 1700s and 1800s, interest in natural history flourished. With its wealth of previously unknown species, Africa fascinated scientists, explorers, artists, and gentleman scholars.

The Dutch colonial settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, long an important stop along European trade routes, served as a key point of entry into the interior of Africa. Because of this, many early explorers and naturalists focused on the Cape region, illustrating and describing in detail the flora, fauna, and the peoples they encountered there.