Bilder John Webber (1751-1793) – An Inland View in Atooi – Etching and engraving (1784)

Beskrivning

"An Inland View in Atooi." This work depicts a village scene on the island of Kauai (referred to as Atooi), Hawaii. The composition illustrates several traditional thatched dwellings (hale) set within a broad, open valley, with the island's mountainous interior rising in the background. In the foreground, various groups of Native Hawaiians are engaged in social activities and labor, while palm trees and tropical vegetation frame the settlement. This large folio engraving is from the official record of Captain James Cook's third and final voyage, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, published in London in 1784. The plate is historically significant as one of the first European visual documentations of Hawaiian architecture and landscape, recorded during the expedition's arrival in the islands in early 1778.

John Webber was an English artist and traveler who served as the official expedition artist on Captain James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific. Trained in London and Paris, Webber was commissioned to create a visual record of the people, landscapes, and artifacts encountered during the journey. His on-site sketches provided the basis for the numerous engravings that accompanied the published journals of the voyage, which became a massive commercial success and shaped European perceptions of the Pacific and Northwest Coast regions. Webber's commitment to topographical and ethnographic accuracy earned him high regard in both scientific and artistic circles, and he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1791. His body of work remains a primary historical source for the study of eighteenth-century global exploration and Indigenous cultures.

Artist or Maker:
John Webber.

Dimensions:
Approximately 40 cm x 55 cm.

Medium:
Etching and 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.