Death of Cook
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Death of Cook is the name of several paintings depicting the 1779 death of British explorer and European discoverer of the Hawaiian Islands, Captain James Cook. Most of these paintings seem to go back to an original by John Cleveley, painted in 1784, although other versions, like that of John Webber, stood model for later copies too. Such artworks were reproduced in paint and engraving over the course of modern world history. The much more famous reproductions, like the one at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (allegedly based on the Cleveley version), often depicted Cook as a peacemaker trying to stop the fighting between his sailors and the native Hawaiians that they had challenged in combat.
In 2004 however, the original Cleveley painting was discovered in a private collection belonging to an English family. It was known that Cleveley based his original painting on eye-witness accounts of the actual event. The original happened to depict Cook also involved in hand-to-hand combat with the native Hawaiians. The discovery of the original painting has not changed the way historians think about Cook's relationship with the native Hawaiians, as Cook's violent nature was reported upon by his contemporaries.
The original painting, worth approximately USD $200,000 to $300,000, was put up for auction by Christie's auction house in London, England.
[edit] See also
- Marshall Sahlins: Discussions, started more than a decade prior to the re-discovery of the original Cleveley painting, regarding the interpretation of the behavior of those involved in the historical event of Cook's death.
