Details
French School, late 18th Century, after William Hodges, R.A.
Man of Easter Island
unstretched and unframed
11 x 8¾in. (27.9 x 22.2cm.)
After F. Bartolozzi's engraving (Cook (1777) I, pl. XLVI; JS 2.96A) of Hodges' red and white chalk drawing (JS 2.96)
and
Woman of Easter Island
with remains of an eighteenth century inscription '..... de L'isle/de Pasque.' on label on the reverse, unstretched and unframed
11 x 8¾in. (27.9 x 22.2cm.)
After J. Caldwalls's engraving (Cook (1777) I, pl. XXV; JS 2.99A) of Hodges' red chalk drawing (JS 2.99) (2)
Man of Easter Island
unstretched and unframed
11 x 8¾in. (27.9 x 22.2cm.)
After F. Bartolozzi's engraving (Cook (1777) I, pl. XLVI; JS 2.96A) of Hodges' red and white chalk drawing (JS 2.96)
and
Woman of Easter Island
with remains of an eighteenth century inscription '..... de L'isle/de Pasque.' on label on the reverse, unstretched and unframed
11 x 8¾in. (27.9 x 22.2cm.)
After J. Caldwalls's engraving (Cook (1777) I, pl. XXV; JS 2.99A) of Hodges' red chalk drawing (JS 2.99) (2)
Provenance
as Lot 50
The present pictures follow the direction of the engravings by Bartolozzi and Caldwall. There are differences in the areas of light and shade on the woman's face. The light in the present oil falls on her right, as in Hodges' drawing, whereas it falls on her left in Caldwall's engraving. The colouring of the hair (described as black by Cook), tatooing (which should be red and white) and feathers (described as white) are the other main changes in appearance suggesting the artist ignored Cook's text which described these subjects opposite each plate.
There are three further drawings by Hodges dating to Cook's visit to Easter Island in March 1774 in the British Museum (JS 2.95, 2.97 and 2.98). Joppien and Smith date the two red chalk drawings for the engravings of Bartolozzi and Caldwall to 1775.
The Resolution reached Easter Island where it remined for three days from 14-17 March, 1774 and Hodges made two excursions into the Island during the brief stay: 'In general, the people of this isle are a slender race ... Tattowing, or puncturing the skin, is much used here. The men are marked from head to foot, with figures all nearly alike ... The women are but little punctured; red and white paint is an ornament with them, as also with the men; the former is made of tamaric ... Their clothing sis a piece or two of quilted cloth ... One piece wrapped round their loins, and another over their shoulders, make a complete dress... Their hair, in general, is black; the women wear it long, and sometimes tied up on the crown of the head; but the men wear it, and their beards, cropped short. Their head-dress is a round fillet adorned with feathers, and a straw bonnet something like a Scotch one; the former, I believe, being chiefly worn by the men, and the latter by the women. Both men and women have very large holes, or rather slits, in their ears, extnding to near three inches in length ...' (Cook (1777) I, pp. 290-1)
The present pictures follow the direction of the engravings by Bartolozzi and Caldwall. There are differences in the areas of light and shade on the woman's face. The light in the present oil falls on her right, as in Hodges' drawing, whereas it falls on her left in Caldwall's engraving. The colouring of the hair (described as black by Cook), tatooing (which should be red and white) and feathers (described as white) are the other main changes in appearance suggesting the artist ignored Cook's text which described these subjects opposite each plate.
There are three further drawings by Hodges dating to Cook's visit to Easter Island in March 1774 in the British Museum (JS 2.95, 2.97 and 2.98). Joppien and Smith date the two red chalk drawings for the engravings of Bartolozzi and Caldwall to 1775.
The Resolution reached Easter Island where it remined for three days from 14-17 March, 1774 and Hodges made two excursions into the Island during the brief stay: 'In general, the people of this isle are a slender race ... Tattowing, or puncturing the skin, is much used here. The men are marked from head to foot, with figures all nearly alike ... The women are but little punctured; red and white paint is an ornament with them, as also with the men; the former is made of tamaric ... Their clothing sis a piece or two of quilted cloth ... One piece wrapped round their loins, and another over their shoulders, make a complete dress... Their hair, in general, is black; the women wear it long, and sometimes tied up on the crown of the head; but the men wear it, and their beards, cropped short. Their head-dress is a round fillet adorned with feathers, and a straw bonnet something like a Scotch one; the former, I believe, being chiefly worn by the men, and the latter by the women. Both men and women have very large holes, or rather slits, in their ears, extnding to near three inches in length ...' (Cook (1777) I, pp. 290-1)