The creator of this scene, Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, was one of two draughtsmen (the other being Nicolas-Martin Petit) who joined the voyage as assistant gunners, but who were elevated to official artist roles six months into the voyage. Petit made mainly portraits, while Lesueur focused more on topographical and natural history illustration. The Atlas contains fourteen of Petit’s portraits, including this portrait of Gnoung-gnoung-a Mour-re-mour-ga (dit Collins), (1807-17), along with Lesueur’s images of images of species including the wombat, spotted quoll, platypus, cassowary and bluebottle; and illustrations of artefacts such as kelp water-carriers, fish traps and canoes.
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