Views of Australia & Oceania · 18th century
€ 360
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good. Non visible restorations and no foxing or soiling. A light brownish edge below the bottom text, not touching the image or text. Study the images carefully.
This original antique engraving here on offer presents a dramatic scene titled "The Fortunate Escape of Capt'n Cook from the Furious Natives of Erramango." It portrays Captain James Cook and his crew in a small rowboat, hastily retreating from the shore of Erromango, one of the islands in the Pacific.
The image captures the intensity of the moment, with Cook standing in the stern, commanding the boat's escape, while the crew row vigorously. On the shore, a group of indigenous people, referred to in the title as "furious natives," can be seen in a state of agitation, with some brandishing weapons. The engraving communicates a narrative of conflict and confrontation, which was often part of the European exploration accounts of the time. In the background, Cook's ship waits offshore, under a sky filled with billowing clouds, which adds to the dramatic atmosphere of the scene. This encounter is part of the broader history of European explorers' often tumultuous interactions with the peoples they encountered in the Pacific islands.
