Rapa Nui Gaze: Portraits from Easter Island, Engraved and Published in ca.1785
€ 220
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1785
Sheet size
24.5 × 38 cm (9.6 × 15.0 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13597-98
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Good condition, Aged paper with typically warm, yellowish-brown hue. Some soiling and foxing, due to age and handling over the last few hundred years. Study the images carefully.
About this sheet
The engraving features side-by-side portraits of a woman and a man from Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, famous for its monumental statues known as moai.
The left side depicts "A WOMAN of EASTER ISLAND." She is portrayed with a serene expression, wearing a headband and her hair in curls. The details in her eyes, lips, and facial structure are rendered with attention to realism, capturing her poise and appearance.
The right side depicts "A MAN of EASTER ISLAND." His portrait is in profile, showing his facial features with precision. He has a beard and long hair, and his gaze is directed outward, giving him a contemplative appearance.
Both subjects wear draped garments, and the meticulousness of the engravings suggests a desire to accurately represent the individuals and their cultural attire.
This title reflects the subjects' origin from Easter Island and suggests the depth captured in their expressions, as if they are gazing across time, from their world to ours. These portraits would likely have been part of an 18th-century publication detailing explorations in the Pacific, possibly from a collection of Captain Cook's voyages or similar exploratory expeditions.
