Portrait of James Cook

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Portrait of James Cook
Captainjamescookportrait.jpg
Artist Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Yearc. 1775
Type Oil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions127 cm× 101.6 cm(50 in× 40.0 in)
Location National Maritime Museum, London

Portrait of James Cook is an oil on canvas portrait painting by the English Nathaniel Dance-Holland, from c. 1775. [1] It is held in the National Maritime Museum, in Greenwich. [2]

Contents

History and description

It depicts the British explorer and Royal Navy officer James Cook. [3] [4] Known for his voyages in the Pacific Ocean and visits to New Zealand, Hawaii and elsewhere, he was subsequently killed in Hawaii in 1779. Dance-Holland spent many years in Italy before returning to Britain to become a leading portrait painter. [5]

Cook is portrayed seated in a room, with an open window into the sea. He is wearing the dress uniform of a captain and holds his own map of the Southern Ocean with his hand pointing to the eastern coast of Australia. [6]

References

  1. Quilley & Bonehill p.132
  2. National Maritime Museum
  3. Hamilton p.83
  4. Moon p.138
  5. Palmer p.87
  6. National Maritime Museum

Bibliography