Credit: © The Royal Society
Image number: RS.9242
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Miniature of James Cook
Date
18th century-19th century
Sitter
James Cook (1728 - 1779, British) , Explorer
Creator
Unknown, Artist
After
Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735 - 1811, British) , Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 70mm
width (painting): 53mm
width (painting): 53mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Half-length portrait in Royal Naval uniform against a background of sky and clouds. Cook is shown facing slightly to the viewer’s right.
James Cook (1728-1779), British explorer, known for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to Australia, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1776.
Cook’s first voyage, on board HMS Endeavour, was initially planned by the Royal Society as part of its observation of the 1769 transit of Venus. During this voyage, Cook is known to have acted on a second set of orders from the Admitalty to explore, claim resources and trade in the 'unknown southern land', Terra Australis Incognita.
James Cook (1728-1779), British explorer, known for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to Australia, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1776.
Cook’s first voyage, on board HMS Endeavour, was initially planned by the Royal Society as part of its observation of the 1769 transit of Venus. During this voyage, Cook is known to have acted on a second set of orders from the Admitalty to explore, claim resources and trade in the 'unknown southern land', Terra Australis Incognita.
Transcription
Miniature of Captain Cook, F.R.S. Bought 1893 of G. Ellis, 8 Bolton Road, St. John’s Wood (together with Cook’s Third and Last Voyage, 8vo) for £1.15.0.
It appears to be a copy from the original portrait (by Heath) in the possession (sometime) of Sir Joseph Banks, his friend (see engraving in Kippis’ Life of Cook).
Ellis bought the miniature in 1886 at Lord Brabourne’s sale of many of the affects of Sir Joseph Banks (Sir Edward Knatchbull, Lord Brabourne’s father, was the executor of Sir Joseph Banks) – T.E.J.
It appears to be a copy from the original portrait (by Heath) in the possession (sometime) of Sir Joseph Banks, his friend (see engraving in Kippis’ Life of Cook).
Ellis bought the miniature in 1886 at Lord Brabourne’s sale of many of the affects of Sir Joseph Banks (Sir Edward Knatchbull, Lord Brabourne’s father, was the executor of Sir Joseph Banks) – T.E.J.
Object history
According to the label, the painting was owned successively by Sir Edward Knatchbull (1781-1849 and by his son Edward Hugessen Knatchpole, 1st Baron Brabourne (1829-1893). There is an implied link to Sir Joseph Banks, since Knatchbull was his executor. The painting was then purchased, presumably at the Brabourne sale at Sotheby's on 11 March and 14 April 1886, by George Ellis, a dealer based in St John’s Wood. Ellis approached the Society with several portraits for purchase during the 1890s.
The note by ‘TEJ’ (presumably T E James, the Society’s Clerk in 1893) refers to the purchase by the Royal Society. This is not noted in Council Minutes for the period (as is the purchase of the Society’s miniature of Bishop Horsley, for example). However, a copy of the letter of purchase is preserved [Royal Society Archives, New Letter Books, NLB/8/202/1 H.Rix-G.Ellis, 3 November 1893, 1p.] and the purchase details are reproduced in the 1940 Record. [The Record of the Royal Society of London.., (London, The Royal Society, 1940), p.162.]
The artist referred to in James’s note is presumably the engraver James Heath (1757-1834) whose frontispiece engraving for Kippis’s Life of Captain James Cook has some similarities with this portrait. The Heath engraving shows a more severe or determined Cook, his face shadowed; it has more in common with the Dance original than this miniature. Heath’s work resembles this miniature in being an oval format, however, with a similar background. The engraving is reversed. The Dance portrait was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks, accounting for the Heath inscription. The relationship between the three works is unclear.
The note by ‘TEJ’ (presumably T E James, the Society’s Clerk in 1893) refers to the purchase by the Royal Society. This is not noted in Council Minutes for the period (as is the purchase of the Society’s miniature of Bishop Horsley, for example). However, a copy of the letter of purchase is preserved [Royal Society Archives, New Letter Books, NLB/8/202/1 H.Rix-G.Ellis, 3 November 1893, 1p.] and the purchase details are reproduced in the 1940 Record. [The Record of the Royal Society of London.., (London, The Royal Society, 1940), p.162.]
The artist referred to in James’s note is presumably the engraver James Heath (1757-1834) whose frontispiece engraving for Kippis’s Life of Captain James Cook has some similarities with this portrait. The Heath engraving shows a more severe or determined Cook, his face shadowed; it has more in common with the Dance original than this miniature. Heath’s work resembles this miniature in being an oval format, however, with a similar background. The engraving is reversed. The Dance portrait was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks, accounting for the Heath inscription. The relationship between the three works is unclear.
Associated place