Bilder John Webber (1751–1793) – View of the Reception of Captain Cook in Hapaee – Oceania – Large Folio Engraving (1784)

Beskrivning

"The Reception of Captain Cook, in Hapaee." This engraving illustrates a large circular gathering of people in Ha'apai, Tonga, where two men are engaged in a wrestling or boxing match in the center of the arena. The scene depicts a vast audience of islanders surrounding the performers, with tropical trees and traditional thatched dwellings in the background. The technical nature is a copper engraving published in London by G. Nicol and T. Cadell as part of the official account of Captain James Cook's third voyage, titled A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. John Webber was the official artist appointed to the expedition, responsible for documenting the landscapes, inhabitants, and social customs encountered throughout the Pacific. This work is significant for its detailed ethnographic recording of Tongan entertainment and hospitality as observed firsthand by the British explorers in 1777.

John Webber was an English painter and printmaker who achieved international fame after being selected by the Admiralty to accompany Captain Cook on his final voyage of discovery. Trained in Bern and Paris, he applied a refined neoclassical aesthetic to the documentation of scientific and geographical findings. His primary contribution was the transformation of field sketches into finished paintings and subsequent engravings that defined the European perception of the Pacific for generations. Webber's meticulous attention to group dynamics, local vegetation, and material culture provided a vital archive for anthropologists and historians studying early contact between European and Pacific cultures.

Artist or Maker: John Webber.

Dimensions: Approximately 40 cm x 55 cm.

Medium: Engraving.

Date: 1784.

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.