Captain James Cook
William HOLL
(Plaistow 1807 – London 1871)
“Captain James Cook”
Original steel engraving after a painting by Nataniel Dance Holland (1734 – 1811).
The print appeared in Wrigh't “Gallery of Engravings” published in London by Fisher, Son & Co. between 1844 and 1846.
Very nice example in good general condition.
Holl reproduces one of the most famous portraits of Captain James Cook (1728 – 1789) commissioned to Dance-Holland by Sir Joseph Banks (1743 - 1820) and finished in 1776, the year of Cook's third voyage from wich he never returned.
Banks had sailed with Cook on his first voyage in the 'Endeavour' as a researcher and naturalist and took an influential interest in his subsequent ones. This portrait hung over the fireplace in the library of his London house.
After his death the executor presented the painting to the Naval Gallery at Greenwich Hospital and nowadays it is part of the collection of the National Maritime Museum.
References:
Benezit “Dictionnaire des Peintres...” Parigi 1976, vol.5 pag.592 (Dance-Holland).
Hunnisett “An Illustrated Dictionary of British Steel Engravers”
Cambridge 1989 pag.51.
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/14102.html
Size in mm: 245 x 178
Price: € 50,00
