Travel & Transport · 18th century
€ 340
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Very good condition with strong original hand coloring. Minor faint spotting in the margins and light toning consistent with age. Wide margins present and well preserved. Visible plate mark.
A Dance at Ulietea – Society Islands Scene from Cook’s Voyages, c.1784
This finely hand-colored copper engraving titled A Dance at Ulietea, one of the Society Islands in the South Seas offers a vivid ethnographic scene based on observations from Captain James Cook’s famous Pacific voyages. Published around 1784, shortly after Cook’s third and final voyage (1776–1780), the print reflects European curiosity and fascination with Polynesian cultures at the close of the 18th century.
The scene is set within a large open wooden structure, likely a community house or ceremonial space, with a thatched roof supported by posts. In the foreground, two Tahitian women perform a traditional dance for an audience of both local men and European observers. The central dancer, bare-chested and adorned with a yellow feathered girdle, moves gracefully with arms lifted, while musicians to the left provide rhythm using flutes and drums.
The composition carefully balances ethnographic detail with classical European artistic conventions. The clothing and body language of the native dancers and musicians are rendered with sensitivity, while the onlookers adopt stances more familiar to neoclassical European genre painting. The inclusion of palm trees in the background further situates the scene in the South Pacific.
The image originates from a plate designed by the artist Webber del. (John Webber, 1751–1793), the official artist on Cook’s third voyage, and engraved by Heath sculp. (likely William Heath or James Heath). Webber's illustrations were instrumental in shaping European understanding and imagery of the Pacific islands during the late Enlightenment. The Society Islands, including Ulietea (modern-day Raiatea), were among the key locations visited by Cook and his crew.
This print was likely published in A New, Authentic, and Complete Account of Voyages Round the World (1784–86), a comprehensive and commercially successful account of Cook’s expeditions, compiled by George William Anderson and others.
Condition: Very good condition with strong original hand coloring. Minor faint spotting in the margins and light toning consistent with age. Wide margins present and well preserved. Visible plate mark.
Framing tips: A dark wood or teak frame with a light cream or parchment mat will complement the tropical subject and 18th-century style. Ideal for collections related to exploration or Polynesian history.
Technique: Copper engraving with original hand coloring
Maker: After John Webber, engraved by Heath, published c.1784, London
