[Captain James Cook]

Published by J K Sherwin, London, 1779

  • Softcover
  • Used
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Seller: Hordern House Rare Books, Potts Point, NSW, AustraliaHordern House Rare Books

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AbeBooks seller since January 17, 2013

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Softcover

Condition: Used

£ 5,134.70

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Item description from seller

Engraving, artist's proof copy 275 x 235 mm, mounted and framed. A proof impression (before title, date and some letters) of the first issue of the first separately published engraving of Captain Cook. This famous portrait of the navigator was published in the year of his death, though news of the events at Kealakekua Bay did not reach Europe until the following year. Now the trademark image of Cook as a result of its very many subsequent versions (Beddie lists an astonishing 284 entries for the Dance group), it was considered the best likeness at the time and is known, for example, to have been distributed to friends by his widow Elizabeth. It is a conspicuously rare portrait in this first version. The engraving is based on Nathaniel Dance's original portrait, commissioned by Joseph Banks, for which Cook sat for Dance in 1776, before sailing on his third voyage. The painting is today in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Dance, one of the greatest of British history painters and a founding member of the Royal Academy, shows Cook wearing captain's full-dress uniform and holding his own chart of the Southern Ocean: the caption "New Holland" can clearly be discerned in the engraving. This extremely rare proof was pulled before the image had been titled and dated, and before the usual pinxit and sculpsit notes had been added to the artists' names; this state corresponds with an example in the Mitchell Library (where it is item 3 in an 18th-century connoisseur's album entitled "Three voyages round the world"), while a subsequent state with the addition of the title is held in the Dixson Library (Beddie 3379). An earlier less-developed form where the shape of Cook's body has been simply blocked out is held by the National Library (Rex Nan Kivell Collection NK10914/A and /B). .…

Seller Inventory # 6000075

Bibliographic details

Title
[Captain James Cook]
Author
[COOK] DANCE, Nathaniel, after, engraved by John Keyes SHERWIN
Publisher
J K Sherwin, London
Publication year
1779
Binding
Soft cover
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Hordern House Rare Books

Potts Point, NSW, Australia

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since January 17, 2013

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Store description

Hordern House, founded by Anne McCormick and Derek McDonnell in 1985 and named for our original building in Sydney's Potts Point, is an internationally renowned dealership, specialising in rare books, manuscripts and paintings. Always reflected in our extensive stock of rare and select material is our specialization in voyages and travels (with a special interest in the Pacific & Australia), natural history and colour-plate material, paintings and voyage art, historical maps and manuscripts. We issue regular catalogues, some of which are published online only: all our recent catalogues can be viewed on our website.…

Specialty

Voyages and travel, Natural History, Hawaii, Illustrated books, Colonial and voyage art, Manuscripts, Australia, Voyages, Pacific.

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  • The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers
  • International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
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Seller's business information

Hordern House Rare Books

Hordern House, Level 2, 255 Riley Street
Surry Hills, NSW Australia 2010