Rapa Nui Gaze: Portraits from Easter Island, Engraved and Published in ca.1785

Reference
BG-13597-98
Date
1785
Region
Australia & Oceania
Category
Engraving
Sheet size
24.5 x 38.0 cm (9.6 x 15.0 in)
Condition
Good
Availability
Available
Price
EUR 220

The engraving features side-by-side portraits of a woman and a man from Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, famous for its monumental statues known as moai.

The left side depicts "A WOMAN of EASTER ISLAND." She is portrayed with a serene expression, wearing a headband and her hair in curls. The details in her eyes, lips, and facial structure are rendered with attention to realism, capturing her poise and appearance.

The right side depicts "A MAN of EASTER ISLAND." His portrait is in profile, showing his facial features with precision. He has a beard and long hair, and his gaze is directed outward, giving him a contemplative appearance.

Both subjects wear draped garments, and the meticulousness of the engravings suggests a desire to accurately represent the individuals and their cultural attire.

This title reflects the subjects' origin from Easter Island and suggests the depth captured in their expressions, as if they are gazing across time, from their world to ours. These portraits would likely have been part of an 18th-century publication detailing explorations in the Pacific, possibly from a collection of Captain Cook's voyages or similar exploratory expeditions.

Where this sits in the catalogue

Other sheets of Australia & Oceania


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