Skip to main content

Primary sourcePainting1776

James Cook, engraving by Rivers after Dance-Holland

Nathaniel Dance-Holland · 1776

An engraved portrait of James Cook after a painting by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, made soon after his voyages.

This portrait, made from a painting during Cook's lifetime, shows him formally alongside a scene hinting at violent encounters on his voyages.

Ask James Cook about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Engraved portrait of a man with white powdered hair, wearing a dark coat over a striped waistcoat and cravat, against a dark background. Below the portrait is a small scene of men in conflict on a shore, with figures wielding weapons. Inscriptions read N. Dance. del. and Rivers. sculp.
James Cook. Engraving by Rivers after Sir N. Dance-Holland, 1776. Wellcome Collection, London.

About this source

What it is

This engraving shows Captain James Cook, copied by Rivers from a painting by Nathaniel Dance-Holland in 1776. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in London. Below the main portrait is a small inset scene showing figures in conflict on a shore.

Why it matters

Made within a few years of Cook's voyages, this print reflects how he was pictured in Britain during his lifetime. The small scene beneath hints at the violent encounters that sometimes occurred between Cook's crews and Indigenous peoples he met, a part of his history often left out of formal portraits.

Look closer

  • Why might the engraver have included a conflict scene beneath a formal portrait?
  • What does the formal pose and clothing tell you about how Cook was meant to be remembered?
  • What questions does the small scene raise that the main portrait does not answer?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Cook on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More James Cook sources

Meet the AI James Cook →
Oil painting of a seated man in a navy blue captain's uniform with gold braid and gold buttons over a white waistcoat. He has grey hair, holds a chart on his lap, and a tricorn hat rests on a table beside him, with sea visible through a window at left.Painting

Primary source

Captain James Cook, 1728-79

Nathaniel Dance-Holland · c. 1775-1776

Oval engraved portrait of Captain James Cook in a naval-style uniform with a high collar and cravat, hair curled at the sides, set within a decorative oval frame. Caption below reads 'Captain James Cook, F.R.S.' with publication credits along the bottom margin.Painting

Secondary source

James Cook, line engraving by Basire after Hodges

William Hodges · 1777

Engraved plate from Philosophical Transactions Vol. LXI, Tab. XIV, p. 410, titled 'Appearances of Venus by Capt. Cook' (top) and 'Appearances of Venus by Mr. Charles Green' (bottom). Each panel shows a series of numbered figures of Venus as a black disc crossing the Sun's curved edge, with arcs representing the Sun's limb at successive moments of the 1769 transit.Document

Primary source

Sketchings of the 1769 Venus Transit

James Cook and Charles Green · 1769

Engraved sea chart titled 'Chart of New Zealand, explored in 1769 and 1770' by Lieut. J. Cook, Commander of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour. Shows North and South Islands with coastal names, soundings, compass roses, and a rhumb-line grid. Title and an explanation box appear at top.Document

Primary source

Chart of New Zealand, explored in 1769 and 1770

James Cook · 1770

Engraved print of a standing man in a tricorn hat and long coat holding a long musket, with palm trees and a dark wooded background. Caption below reads 'Captain James Cook, F.R.S.' with 'Dodd del.' and 'Birrell sculp.' noted.Painting

Secondary source

James Cook, line engraving by Birrell after Dodd

O. Birrell · 1785

Ready when you are

Start chatting with James Cook now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions