John Webber
{{Short description|English artist}}
{{For|those of a similar name|John Weber (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = John Webber
| image = JohnWebber.jpg
| caption =
| imagesize =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 6 October 1751
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date = 29 May 1793 (aged 41)
| death_place = London, England
| field = Painting
| training = Paris, France
| movement =
| works = "Resolution and Discovery in Ship Cove, 1778"; "A Party from H.M.S. Resolution shooting sea horses", Kealakekua Bay and the Village Kowroaa
}}
John Webber {{Post-nominals|post-noms=RA}} (6 October 1751William Hauptman, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/886088 "Webber before Cook: two water-colours after Sterne,"] The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 136, No. 1903 (Apr 1994), p. 237. – 29 May 1793) was an English artist who accompanied Captain Cook on his third Pacific expedition. He is best known for his images of Australasia, Hawaii and Alaska.
Biography
Webber was born in London, educated in Bern and studied painting at Paris.{{cite web |title=Webber, John|work=Dictionary of Australian Biography |url=http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks15/1500721h/0-dict-biogWe-Wy.html#webber1 |editor=Percival Serle |editor-link=Percival Serle |publisher= Angus and Robertson |year=1949}} His father was Abraham Wäber, a Swiss sculptor who had moved to London, and changed his name to Webber before marrying a Mrs Mary Quant in 1744.
Webber served as official artist on James Cook's third voyage of discovery around the Pacific (1776–1780) aboard {{HMS|Resolution|Cook|6}}. At Adventure Bay in January 1777 he did drawings of "A Man of Van Diemen's Land" and "A Woman of Van Diemen's Land". He also did many drawings of scenes in New Zealand and the South Sea islands. On this voyage, during which Cook lost his life in a fight in Hawaii, Webber became the first European artist to make contact with Hawaii, then called the Sandwich Islands. He made numerous watercolour landscapes of the islands of Kauai and Hawaii, and also portrayed many of the Hawaiian people.
In April 1778, Captain Cook's ships Resolution and Discovery anchored at Ship Cove, in King George's Sound, now known as Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada to refit. The crew took observations and recorded encounters with the local people. Webber made watercolour landscapes including "Resolution and Discovery in Ship Cove, 1778". His drawings and paintings were engraved for the British Admiralty's account of the expedition, which was published in 1784.
Back in England in 1780 Webber exhibited around 50 works at Royal Academy exhibitions between 1784 and 1792, and was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1785 and R.A. in 1791. Most of his work were landscapes. Sometimes figures were included as in "A Party from H.M.S. Resolution shooting sea horses", which was shown at the academy in 1784, and his "The Death of Captain Cook" became well known through an engraving of it. Another version of this picture is in the William Dixson gallery at Sydney.
Collections
The Anchorage Museum of History and Art (Alaska), the [http://aleutians.org Museum of the Aleutians] (Alaska), the Bishop Museum (Honolulu), the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, Massachusetts), the Yale University Art Gallery, the British Museum,{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3299186&partId=1|title=A young woman of the Sandwich Islands|website=British Museum|language=en-GB|access-date=8 July 2018}} the Sir John Soane's Museum (London), The National Maritime Museum (London), the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
, the John Carter Brown Library, and the Mitchell Library (Australia) are among the public collections holding works by John Webber.
=Australia=
Webber's art is held by a number of Australian institutions including the National Portrait Gallery (William Bligh, c.1776, The Death of Captain Cook (engraving), 1784, and Portrait of Captain James Cook RN, 1782);{{cite web |url=https://www.portrait.gov.au/people/john-webber-1752 |title=John Webber 1752 – 1793: William Bligh |website=portrait.gov.au |publisher=National Portrait Gallery |access-date=16 November 2017}} the Australian National Maritime Museum (View of Huaheine, 1784);{{cite web |url=http://collections.anmm.gov.au/en/objects/details/49082/view-of-huaheine?ctx=6a9bb9e8-f593-49cd-83ab-c61e0bfbe665&idx=6 |title=View of Huaheine |website=collections.anmm.gov.au |publisher=Australia National Maritime Museum |access-date=16 November 2017}} the Art Gallery of New South Wales (A View in Otaheite Peha, 1785);{{cite web |url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/4.1976/ |title=A view in Otaheite Peha |website=artgallery.nsw.gov.au |publisher=Art Gallery of New South Wales |access-date=16 November 2017}} the National Library of Australia (includes
Sea Otter, 1778,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21330944?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=25501524 |title=1778, English, Art work edition: Sea otter |website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} A Woman of Pulo Condore, 1780,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21330851?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=25501374 |title=1780, English, Art work edition: A woman of Pulo Condore|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} Portrait of Captain John Gore, 1780,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/26104274?q&versionId=31441370 |title=1780, English, Art work edition: Portrait of Captain John Gore|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} Poedua, Daughter of Orea, King of Ulietea, Society Islands, 1782,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/26082748?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=31418404 |title=1782, English, Art work edition: A Portrait of Poedua|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} Portrait of Captain James King, 1782,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/26335628?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=31727742 |title=1782, English, Art work edition: Portrait of Captain James King, commander of Discovery during Cook's third voyage|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} A Dance in Otaheite, 1784,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6894462?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=45132749 |title=1784, English, Art work edition: A dance in Otaheite|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} A Woman of Van Diemen's Land, 1784,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/11120120?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=13020912 |title=1784, English, Art work edition: A woman of Van Diemen's Land|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} A Chief of the Sandwich Islands, 1787,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/26204565?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&sortby=dateAsc&c=picture&versionId=31555806 |title=1787, English, Art work edition: A chief of the Sandwich Islands|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}} and The Resolution Beating Through the Ice, 1792,{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/19412665?q=exact_creator%3A%22Webber+John+1752+1793%22&c=picture&versionId=22810610 |title=1792, English, Art work edition: The Resolution beating through the ice, with the Discovery in the most eminent danger in the distance|website=trove.nla.gov.au|publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=16 November 2017}}); the Dixson Library (includes An Opossum of Van Diemen's Land, 1777,{{cite web |url=http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110332246?_ga=2.69787984.1581245980.1510851392-1806788212.1465286888 |title=An opossum of Van Diemen's Land, 1777 / drawn by John Webber |website=archival.sl.nsw.gov.au |publisher=State Library of New South Wales |access-date=16 November 2017}} Red-tailed Tropic Bird, 1777,{{cite web |url=http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110332244?_ga=2.28450172.1581245980.1510851392-1806788212.1465286888 |title=Red-tailed tropic bird, 1777 / drawn by John Webber |website=archival.sl.nsw.gov.au |publisher=State Library of New South Wales |access-date=16 November 2017}} and The Death of Captain Cook, c.1781–83.{{cite web |url=http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110332145?_ga=2.32694398.1581245980.1510851392-1806788212.1465286888 |title=Death of Cook, ca. 1781–83? / John Webber |website=archival.sl.nsw.gov.au |publisher=State Library of New South Wales |access-date=16 November 2017}}); and the National Gallery of Victoria (A Night Dance by Men, in Hapaee, 1784,{{cite web |url=https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/28612/ |title=A night dance by men, in Hapaee |website=ngv.vic.gov.au |publisher=National Gallery of Victoria |access-date=16 November 2017}} A Young Woman of the Sandwich Islands, 1784,{{cite web |url=https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/77839/ |title=A young woman of the Sandwich Islands |website=ngv.vic.gov.au |publisher=National Gallery of Victoria |access-date=16 November 2017}} and A Man of Van Diemen's Land, 1784.{{cite web |url=https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/77838/ |title=A man of Van Diemen's Land |website=ngv.vic.gov.au |publisher=National Gallery of Victoria |access-date=16 November 2017}}).
Works
File:John Webber's oil painting 'A Chief of the Sandwich Islands', 1787.jpg|'A Chief of the Sandwich Islands' (oil), 1787, National Library of Australia
File:John Webber's oil painting 'Abbey Mill, Shrewsbury'.jpg|'Abbey Mill, Shrewsbury' (oil)
File:John Webber - 'Kealakekua Bay and the village Kowroaa', 1779, ink, ink wash and watercolor.jpg|Kealakekua Bay and the Village Kowroaa, 1779 ink wash and watercolor by John Webber, Honolulu Museum of Art
File:FrauEaoo.jpg|John Webber's woman from Eaoo
File:Tereoboo, King of Owyhee, bringing presents to Captain Cook by John Webber.jpg|John Webber's Tereoboo, King of Owyhee, bringing presents to Captain Cook 1784
File:Sea Otter.png|John Webber's Sea Otter
File:John Webber - Portrait of Captain James Cook - Google Art Project.jpg|John Webber's Captain Cook, oil on canvas, 1776 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington NZ
File:James Cook by John Webber.jpg|John Webber's James Cook, before 1793
File:John Webber - Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound - Google Art Project.jpg|Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, 1788 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
File:Man of Nootka Sound.jpg|John Webber's Man of Nootka Sound
File:Death of Captain Cook.jpg|John Webber's 'The Death of Captain Cook'
File:Portrait of a Man of Prince William's Sound (Left); Portrait of A Woman of Prince William's Sound (Right).jpg
File:The Inside of a House in Nootka Sound.jpg
File:A Man of Oonalashka.jpg
File:John Webber - Poedooa, the Daughter of Oree.jpg|A Polynesian woman, painted in 1777 by John Webber
{{commons category|John Webber}}
See also
References
- Ellis, George R., Honolulu Academy of Arts, Selected Works, Honolulu, Honolulu Academy of Arts, 1990, 178,
- Forbes, David W., Encounters with Paradise: Views of Hawaii and its People, 1778–1941, Honolulu Academy of Arts, 1992, 15–85.
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Art UK bio}}
- [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2208 Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online]
- [https://jcb.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/view/search?q==%22John%20Webber%22 Digitized works] at the John Carter Brown Library
{{Captain James Cook}}
{{Hawaiian Art}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, John}}
Category:18th-century English painters
Category:English male painters
Category:English people of Swiss descent
Category:English explorers of North America