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Secondary sourcePainting1785

James Cook, line engraving by Birrell after Dodd

O. Birrell · 1785

A later engraving of Captain James Cook holding a musket, set against a tropical background.

This posthumous engraving presents Cook as an armed explorer in a tropical setting, reflecting his later popular image.

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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.
James Cook. Line engraving by O. Birrell after H. Dodd, 1785. Wellcome Collection, London.

About this source

What it is

This line engraving of Captain James Cook was made by O. Birrell in 1785 after a portrait by H. Dodd. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in the United Kingdom. The print shows Cook standing in a tricorn hat and long coat, holding a long musket, with palm trees in the background.

Why it matters

Made after Cook's death, this image reflects how he was remembered in the years following his voyages—as an adventurer in distant, exotic lands. The tropical setting and weapon emphasise exploration and danger rather than science or navigation.

Look closer

  • Why might the artist have chosen to show Cook holding a weapon in a tropical setting?
  • What does this image suggest about how Europeans imagined far-off lands at the time?
  • What parts of Cook's actual work—mapping, science, leadership—are left out of this picture?

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.

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James Cook, engraving by Rivers after Dance-Holland

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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

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