IMAGE
Gosse, Thomas, 1765-1844 :Transplanting of the bread-fruit trees from Otaheite. Painted and engraved by T Gosse. London, T Gosse 1796
- Date
- 1796 - 1791
- By
- Gosse, Thomas, 1765-1844; Turnbull, Alexander Horsburgh, 1868-1918
- Reference
- C-036-003
- Description
Captain Bligh standing in a small rowboat at the water's edge on the right, with two sailors steadying the boat. He watches as a group of Tahitians move a young breadfruit tree in a small wooden tub towards the boat, with further saplings lined up to be transferred. A fruiting breadfruit grows on the left among banana palms and other tropical plants. A central figure, a Tahitian man in a long white robe and draped head-covering, directs procedings. The rigging of one of Bligh's ships, the Providence or the Assistant, is visible in the right background
The central Tahitian figure appears to be based on Sir Joshua Reynolds' portrait of Omai or Mai, who died in 1780
Another copy, hand-coloured, held at C-036-015
Bligh made a visit to Tahiti in 1791, with the ships Providence and Assistant, to arrange the transplanting of breadfruit trees from Tahiti to to the West Indies, to provide food for slaves on plantations.
Quantity: 1 b&w art print(s).
Physical Description: Mezzotint, 525 x 608 mm
Provenance: Collection of Alexander Turnbull?
- Additional description
Alternative form available: Digital copy is in black and white, scanned from a file-print
- Access restrictions
- Partly restricted - Please use surrogate in place of original
- Format
- 1 b&w art print(s), Works of art, Mezzotints, Mezzotint, 525 x 608 mm
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Gosse, Thomas, 1765-1844. Gosse, Thomas, 1765-1844 :Transplanting of the bread-fruit trees from Otaheite. Painted and engraved by T Gosse. London, T Gosse 1796. Ref: C-036-003. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23214421More information can be found in our terms of use.