Ethnography · 18th century
€ 180
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
condition for age. Light general toning and some spotting in the margins. Strong impression and rich original hand-coloring. Plate mark visible.
Savage of the Admiralty Isles – Hand-Colored Ethnographic Engraving, c.1785
This striking hand-colored engraving, titled "A Savage of the Admiralty Isles in the South Sea," presents a full-length portrait of a man from the Admiralty Islands (now Manus Province, Papua New Guinea). He is depicted standing on a tropical shoreline, holding a paddle and a fruit, adorned with ornamental body paint, earrings, and a headdress. The dramatic setting includes lush vegetation, distant mountains, and a calm sea with a canoe in the background — typical of the exotic and romanticized portrayals common in late 18th-century European travel books.
The engraving likely originates from George William Anderson’s monumental work “A New, Authentic and Complete Collection of Voyages Round the World” (published between 1784 and 1786), which compiled engravings based on drawings from Captain Cook’s and other explorers’ expeditions. These prints were designed to bring the distant and unfamiliar to European readers, often framed through the lens of Enlightenment curiosity and colonial exoticism.
The subject is labeled using the now-obsolete and pejorative term “savage,” reflecting the period’s ethnographic attitudes. Such works today are valuable not only for their artistic merit but also for their role in understanding the historical narratives constructed by European colonial powers. This image is an important visual document of how indigenous peoples of the South Pacific were perceived and represented in European print culture.
The print is delicately engraved and finely hand-colored, highlighting the skin tones, green palm fronds, and soft blues of the sea and sky. The cross-hatched background provides a sense of depth and atmosphere. It is a fine example of 18th-century ethnographic illustration, merging documentation with romanticized scenery.
Condition: Very good condition for age. Light general toning and some spotting in the margins. Strong impression and rich original hand-coloring. Plate mark visible.
Framing tips: Best displayed with a warm ivory or natural white mat and a dark wood or antique gold frame to complement the print’s tone and historical character.
Technique: Copperplate engraving with original hand-coloring
Maker: Engraved by Thornton, after drawings by Webber or related sources, London, c.1785
