The chief at Santa Christina

In April 1774, British explorer James Cook and his crew landed on Tahuata (Santa Cristina), one of the Marquesas Islands. There they met Honu, the highest-ranking chief of Vaitahu, who is shown in John Hall’s engraving in all his finery.

It was through objects, journal accounts, paintings, and engravings from Cook’s voyages that a fascinated British public was first introduced to Pacific people and their homelands. The coloured etching by Andrea Bernieri combines different images from Cook’s voyages, including a portrait of Honu.