Portrait of James Cook

Portrait of James Cook
Artist	Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Year	c. 1775
Type	Oil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions	127 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]

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

• Hamilton, James C. Captain James Cook and the Search for Antarctica. Pen and Sword History, 2020.
• Moon, Paul. A Draught of the South Land: Mapping New Zealand from Tasman to Cook.
• Palmer, Allison Lee. Historical Dictionary of Neoclassical Art and Architecture. Scarecrow Press, 2011.
• Quilley, Geoff & Bonehill, Jane (ed.) William Hodges 1744-1797: The Art of Exploration. Yale University Press, 2004.