Capt. Cook

Rare engraved portrrait of Captain James Cook (1728-1779) with a printed biography on the one sheet made five years prior to his death.

The portrait of Cook was made from the oil painted by Nathaniel Dance which is considered to be the best likeness of Cook done. It portrays Cook in captain’s full-dress uniform, consisting of a navy blue jacket and white breeches, white waistcoat embellished with gold braid and buttons. He wears a grey wig or his own hair powdered.

Cook had returned from his second voyage in 1775 and had sat for this portrait, commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks, ‘for a few hours before dinner‘ on 25 May 1776. Banks had sailed with Cook on his first voyage in the ‘Endeavour’ and took an influential interest in his subsequent ones. This portrait had hung over the fireplace in the library of Bank’s London house. Samwell, surgeon’s mate in the ‘Resolution’ on the second voyage and surgeon on the ‘Discovery’ on the third, thought it ‘a most excellent likeness … and … the only one I have seen that bears any resemblance to him’. References PFAI pg 73

FromThe Biographical Magazine. Containing Portraits & Characters of Eminent and Ingenious Persons of Every Age & Nation with their Lives and Characters