[Hodges, William] 1744-1797 :Woman of New Zealand. Drawn from nature by W. Hodges. Published Feb 1st 1777 by Wm. Strahan in New Street & Thos. Cadell in the Strand, London. No.LVIII. 1777

Head and shoulders portrait of a Maori woman with short hair and a red cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She also wears a red-coloured drop earing, probably meant to be greenstone

After a red chalk drawing on Cook's 2nd voyage, now in National Library of Australia, reference number R-740. The original drawing was exhibited in 'Encounter with Eden, New Zealand, 1770-1870' a touring exhibition in New Zealand, 1990-1992; item 2 in the catalogue

This likeness was taken some time between 18 May and 7 June 1773 while the Resolution was at Ship Cove. Anders Sparrman recorded: "It was in such a buggi-buggi [paki-paki or cloak?] that the New Zealand woman was portrayed by the masterly hand of Mr Hodges, our painter. I must confess, however, that he did not choose the most beautiful model as an example of this country's female physiognomy, for the likeness of younger and fairer women is not so easy to depict, yet neither was this one of the ugliest. Language difficulties at first gave rise to a misunderstanding between the girl and the painter, for she, having been paid well to go down into the saloon, imagined that she ought to give satisfaction in the way she understood it, as soon as possible in return for our gift; perhaps she had had previous experience with our sailors? She was astonished when signs were made for her to sit on a chair; such a novel way of doing things struck her as absurd, but she promptly volunteered a prone position on the chair for the painter and his companion. To her further surprise she was eventually put in a correct position, just sitting on the chair with nothing to do; whereupon, to the wonderment and entertainment of herself and the two savages with her, she quickly saw her likeness, appearing in a red crayon drawing." (Sparrman, 1944, p. 56-57)

Extended Title - From: Cook, J. A voyage towards the South Pole. (London, Strahan & Cadell, 1777), Pl.58

The Library holds other versions of this likeness (a black and white example being at C-051-027)

Quantity: 1 colour art print(s).

Physical Description: Engraving, hand-coloured, 225 x 175 on laid paper 285 x 190 mm (plate mark)