IMAGE
Wahlbom, Johann Wilhelm Carl 1810-1858 :[Polynesian or Aboriginal group seated outside a hut, with a battle raging in the background] / C. Wahlbom inv. & sculps., [Stockholm?] 1835
- Date
- 1835
- By
- Wahlbom, Johann Wilhelm Carl, 1810-1858
- Reference
- A-282-016
- Description
On the left, a hut made of logs and thatching. A group of four naked adults and a baby is seated in the centre. The man on the left is kneeling in front of a woman with leg-tattoos, who appears to be sleeping. A man in the centre is seated at a higher level. He has a snake-like pattern tattooed on his chest and is bearded. At his feet, a woman, also with leg tattoos, is seated, breast-feeding a baby. A small group of people is at war in the background, with spears and a bow and arrow, engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
The artist Carl Wahlbom was a Swedish illustrator. During 1835 to 1837 he was principally engaged on engraving illustrations for G. H. Mellins and N. H. Thomson's "Museum for naturvetenskap, konst och historia" [Museum for Natural Science, Art and History] and it is possible that this illustration is from that source. The etching may be a re-engraving from another unknown source or it may be an invention of the artist's. The tattoos of several people in this illustration suggests that the scene is intended to be Polynesian (but not Maori), while the facial features and hairstyles suggest that the subjects could be Aborigines. The scene appears to be inaccurate in its details and is unlikely to have come from an eye-witness account.
Quantity: 2 b&w art print(s) etchings.
Physical Description: Etching 181 x 217 mm (image), 199 x 235 mm (plate-mark) on sheet 228 x 277 mm
Provenance: Purchased by the vendor in Stockholm in 1980 from a print dealer. Said to be illustrations from a missionary journal.
- Access restrictions
- Partly restricted - Please use surrogate in place of original
- Format
- 2 b&w art print(s) etchings, Works of art, Etchings, Portraits, Etching 181 x 217 mm (image), 199 x 235 mm (plate-mark) on sheet 228 x 277 mm
Click to request to view this item, access digital version (if available), and see more information.
Usage
Purchasing this Item
This item is available as a high resolution download. A request to buy an image can take up to 10 working days to approve. It will depend on copyright and how the image is going to be used.
If this item has multiple pages, or is several items attached to a single record, you can use this form to order your copy.
Using this Item
You can copy this item for personal use, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It cannot be used commercially without permission, please ask us for advice. If reproducing this item, please maintain the integrity of the image (i.e. don't crop, recolour or overprint it), and ensure the following credit accompanies it:
Wahlbom, Johann Wilhelm Carl, 1810-1858. Wahlbom, Johann Wilhelm Carl 1810-1858 :[Polynesian or Aboriginal group seated outside a hut, with a battle raging in the background] / C. Wahlbom inv. & sculps., [Stockholm?] 1835. Ref: A-282-016. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22770636More information can be found in our terms of use.