A Man of Easter Island

A Man of Easter Island

Object name: Bookplate
Date: 1772-1782
Medium: Print
Object number: TN08606
DescriptionA page cut from a volume of Captain James Cook’s printed account of his second voyage in the Endeavor, 1772 - 1775. The image is an engraving adapted from a sketch by the artist William Hodges of a man of Easter Island. Print No. 46, 'Drawn from Nature by W. Hodges'.

The printed account of the three voyages of Captain Cook was very popular and ran into many editions. The engravings that illustrated the volumes were frequently cut from the books and framed. The Cuming Bequest collection of prints includes a number of these prints.

The images made by the official artists on the three voyages provide an invaluable source of information about the people and cultures that Cook and his colleagues encountered. Webber's pictures were reproduced over and over again and became the enduring images of exotic, savage and mysterious people in the popular imagination.



Culture: Oceania