The Death of Captain James Cook at Owhyhee

What it is

This copper engraving, titled 'The Death of Captain James Cook, F.R.S. at Owhyhee in MDCCLXXIX,' was drawn by D. P. Dodd and others who were present at the event, then engraved by T. Cook. It was published in 1784 as part of an octavo edition of Cook's voyage accounts.

Why it matters

This image shows how Cook's death in Hawaii became a dramatic and widely published scene soon after it happened, shaping public memory of him as an explorer. Because it was drawn by witnesses but engraved and published later for a popular audience, it mixes eyewitness detail with the drama expected by readers of published voyage accounts.

Look closer

• What is happening in different parts of the image, and how does the artist direct your eye toward the central figure?
• Since this was drawn by people who were there but engraved and published later, how might that affect what is shown and emphasized?
• What does this image suggest about how different groups viewed the events on that beach?