When we talk about the great explorations of the 18th century, the accounts of Captain James Cook hold a central place. But beyond logbooks and cartographic surveys, it is also thanks to the work of John Webber that we can today visualize the landscapes, peoples, and customs of Polynesia during that era. Officially appointed as the draughtsman and painter of Captain Cook’s third voyage (1776–1780), John Webber skillfully and respectfully immortalized the encounters between Europeans and Polynesian peoples.
An Artist of Swiss-British Origins
Born in London in 1751 to Swiss parents (his original name was Johann Wæber), John Webber received his artistic training in Europe, notably in Paris and Bern, before returning to England. His style blended classical influences with a sharp sense of ethnographic observation. In 1776, at just 25 years old, he was selected by the British Admiralty to join Captain Cook aboard the HMS Resolution as the official artist of the voyage.
A Unique Visual Witness of Pre-Colonial Polynesia
Captain Cook’s third voyage, which aimed in part to search for a Northwest Passage to America, passed through numerous Pacific islands. In 1777, the expedition landed in Tahiti and Moorea, then continued on to the islands of Tonga, Hawai‘i, and the Marquesas. Webber documented this journey through sketches, watercolors, and oil paintings that precisely captured faces, tattoos, ornaments, dances, canoes, landscapes, and local ceremonies.
His works are far more than simple illustrations: they represent the first authentic portraits of Polynesians made by a European artist, created before the sweeping influence of colonization.
Famous Works: Faces of Tahiti and Beyond
Among Webber’s most well-known works related to Polynesia are:
- “The Dance of the Natives of the Sandwich Islands” (Hawaï)
- “A View in the Island of Huaheine” (actuelle Huahine)
- Portraits de chefs et cheffes tahitiens, comme celui de Poedua, princesse de Raiatea, devenue une icône du “noble sauvage” en Europe.
These representations helped shape the European imagination of the Polynesian paradise—at times idealized, at other times anthropological. While some of Webber’s works were adapted (or censored) upon publication in Europe, his original sketches reveal a keen eye—at times admiring, often respectful.
🎨 Access to the Collections: The original works are preserved at the British Museum, the National Library of Australia, and several museums in New Zealand.
The Visual Legacy of John Webber in Polynesia
Today, John Webber’s drawings and paintings serve as a major historical resource for researchers, historians, anthropologists, and artists. They allow us to reconstruct a key era in the relations between Europe and Polynesia, just before the significant political, religious, and social changes that would soon follow.
For visitors to Tahiti and its islands, rediscovering Polynesian landscapes through Webber’s eyes is like traveling back in time: seeing Moorea or Huahine through the vision of an 18th-century artist, captivated by the beauty and complexity of island cultures.
📌 Further Exploration
- British Library – Captain Cook Collection : https://www.bl.uk/captaincook
- National Portrait Gallery – John Webber : https://www.npg.org.uk/collections
- Cook’s Pacific Encounters – Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa : https://www.tepapa.govt.nz
- Recommended book: Cook’s Artists by Rüdiger Joppien & Bernard Smith
John Webber was not just an expedition painter; he was a cultural bridge. His visual legacy is invaluable for understanding the first encounters between Europe and Polynesia.emiers regards croisés entre l’Europe et la Polynésie.
Sources:
- National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
- Smith, Bernard. “European Vision and the South Pacific”, Oxford University Press, 1960.
