Illustrations from James Cook's Second (1772-1775) and Third (1776-1780) Voyages; A Group of Four illustrations of the South Pacific Island people from the French editions
Paris: Hôtel du Thuo, 1778 & 1785. Very Good. First French Editions. [10.5x8in individual prints] Three Polynesian women in native ceremonial dress with 2 in hand-colored. Illustration of Omani who accompanied Cook as a translator and then to England in the second voyage. He was presented to George III court and London society. Omani was returned to Tahiti in the third voyage. [Beddie, The Mitchell Library]. Item #13796
John Webber (1752-1793) was the official artist that accompanied Captain Cook on the third voyage of the Resolution and Discovery, 1776-1780. This voyage was to the islands of the Pacific, Australia, the Pacific Northwest America, Alaska, Kamchatka and Hawaii. His fame largely rests on his fine topographical and ethnographic work from the voyage, which was planned with Cook for later publication. Webber was a prolific artist who sketched more than 200 drawings and produced some twenty oil portraits of native peoples. From this body of work, the Admiralty later hired Webber to redraw and direct the engraving of sixty-one plates, plus unsigned coastal views for the official voyage account. Webber use several different engravers, which results in variations in the illustrations from the original drawings. Following completion of the official account, Webber later published the voyage prints and held exhibitions from 1784 to 1787.
The illustrations from the Third voyage of Captain James Cook to the Pacific Ocean in the ships Resolution and Discovery from 1776 to 1780. During this extensive voyage Cook explored the islands of the South Pacific, Australia, the Pacific Northwest America, Alaska, Kamchatka and Hawaii. The illustrations were published in Cook’s official account, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, undertaken by the Command of His Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere, … , in the years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780, 3 vol., at London in 1784. The illustrations were also first published in the French edition of the voyage in 1785 engraved by Robert Bénard. The illustrations were also issued in an 80-part serial from 1784-86 and 1785 edition by Alexander Hogg using a different engraver.
William Hodges (1744-1797) was appointed by Cook as the artist for the Second voyage on the Resolution and the Adventure, 1772-1780. The main purpose of this voyage was to find the Antarctic continent and to further explore and chart the South Pacific Islands. On his return, he supervised the engraving of plates, by William Woollet and others, of the illustrations for Cook's official account. The Admiralty employed him for an addition two years to create large oil paintings, several of which he exhibited at the Royal Academy.
The illustrations were from the Second voyage by Captain James Cook from 1772 to 1775 to the Pacific Ocean. This voyage was to the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand and Antarctica. The illustrations were published in Cook’s official account, A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World: Performed in His Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Adventure in the years 1772, 1773, 1774 and 1775, 2 vols., at London in 1779. The illustrations were also published in French edition of the voyage in 1778 and engraved by Robert Bénard.
Captain James Cook (1728-1779), British explorer, navigator and cartographer, contributed substantially to the knowledge of the Pacific Islands and the coast of North America and Siberia in three voyages spanning twelve years from 1768 to 1780. Many editions of the journals have been published over the years. The of the most definitive and comprehensive editions was published in 1954 by the Hakluyt Society's (and 1999 reprint) and edited by J. C. Beaglehole and R. A. Skelton.
Price: $130.00