Bilder William Woollett after Sydney Parkinson – Manière dont on expose les morts à Otaheite – Engraving from A Voyage to the South Pacific (1773)

Beskrivning

This original engraving, titled Manière dont on expose les morts à Otaheite, depicts the funerary customs of Tahiti (Otaheite), showing how the deceased were laid out in raised structures. A thatched funerary hut is shown at the center, surrounded by tropical vegetation, coconut palms, and figures in traditional attire. The scene was drawn from observations made during James Cook’s first voyage (1768–1771), and the plate was published in John Hawkesworth’s official account of the expedition in 1773. This work represents one of the earliest European visual records of Polynesian life and customs.

William Woollett (1735–1785) was a British engraver celebrated for his landscape and historical engravings. He contributed to some of the most important illustrated publications of the 18th century. This particular engraving is based on original drawings by Sydney Parkinson, the official artist aboard the Endeavour, whose depictions of the Pacific islands were crucial to the visual documentation of Cook’s explorations.

Artist or Maker:
William Woollett after Sydney Parkinson

Dimensions:
26 cm x 38 cm

Medium:
Engraving

Date:
1773

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.