James Taylor - Picturing the Pacific: Joseph Banks and the Shipboard Artists of Cook and Flinders

To Helga Webb, the Queen of Wessex Explorers

ADLARD COLES

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in Great Britain 2018

Copyright James Taylor, 2018

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

As a direct descendant of William Westall, the landscape and figure draughtsman who sailed on Flinders circumnavigation of Australia from 1801 to 1803, it gives me great pleasure to write this foreword. Here for the first time in one volume is an overview of the importance of voyager artists on remarkable expeditions of discovery led by captains James Cook and Matthew Flinders connected by Sir Joseph Banks.

For more than a decade I have had the opportunity to accompany Dr James Taylor on some of his travels to discover more about William Westalls contribution to the illustration and interpretation of Australia, with emphasis on the oil paintings he completed for the Admiralty.

From York to Wiltshire, and many places in between, we went on the trail of Westalls Australian pictures and found ourselves often discussing the influence of Joseph Banks, perhaps the most prominent botanist in British history. Unfortunately, I did not travel with James to Australia where he found out more about Westalls continuing interest in that country.

Whether it was James support for me in the talk I gave at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, or sharing his wide knowledge of art especially marine painting of which I benefitted immensely, it is also gratifying to know that our friendship has also been of mutual benefit. As the great-great-grandson of Westall, the artists work has been relevant to me throughout my life.

I would like to thank James for seeking out and contributing so much new voyager art material and especially in relation to the career of William Westall. It has been a personal expedition which parallels the voyage of Westalls travels to Australia and beyond.

Richard J. Westall

For a full bibliography for this book visit: www.picturingthepacific.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people have been immensely helpful during the research work for this publication. They include: Professor Geoff Quilley, University of Sussex; Michael Rosenthal, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick; Dr Sarah Thomas, Birkbeck, University of London; Dr Kerry Bristol, University of Leeds; Jenny Wraight, the Admiralty Librarian, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth; Guy Hannaford, Archive Research Manager, United Kingdom Hydrographic Office; Rachel Hewitt, Collections Manager, Royal Academy of Arts; Kiri Ross-Jones, Archivist & Records Manager, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; James Piell, Curator, Goodwood Collection; Simon Bird, Charlotte Henwood and Angela Locke all formerly of the Ministry of Defence Art; Eve Watson, Archivist/Librarian, Royal Society of Arts; Joy Wheeler, Librarian, Royal Geographical Society; Sarah Sworder of the Natural History Museum; Charles Greig, independent researcher; Professor Kenneth Morgan, University of Brunel and Professor Jordan Goodman, University College London; Susan Bennett, Hon. Sec, William Shipley Group for RSA History and the access staff of the British Library, British Museum, Cambridge University Library, Central Library Liverpool and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Also, the picture access and librarian staff of the Art Gallery of South Australia; Dr Gillian Dooley, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, English, Flinders University; Anne McCormick and Rachel Robarts, Hordern House; Professor Alex George, Murdoch University, Perth; Roger Butler and Elspeth Pitt, Australian Prints and Drawings, and Rose Montebello, Coordinator, National Gallery of Australia; Robyn Holmes, Senior Curator of Pictures and Manuscripts, Nicky Mackay-Sim, Curator of Pictures and Dr Martin P Woods, Curator of Maps, National Library of Australia, Canberra; Michelle Hetherington, Senior Curator, National Museum of Australia; Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian and Sarah Morley, Curator, State Library of New South Wales; Dr Paul Forster, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane and the Yale Centre for British Art.

In addition, Captain Michael Barrett, Past President of the Hakluyt Society; Dr John McAleer, University of Southampton; Paul Scott, Sir Joseph Banks Society; Jon Astbury, Dr Katy Barrett, Tina Chambers, Emma Lefley, Gillian Hutchinson, Caroline Hampton, Elizabeth Hamilton-Eddy, Dr Pieter van der Merwe and Dr Nigel Rigby, all from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. I am grateful for the generosity of the museum for the short-term Sir James Caird Research Award to examine their collections and records; also, that of the Paul Mellon Foundation and the University of Sussex for travel support to the National Library of Australia, Canberra and the State Library of New South Wales to examine the expedition artwork of William Hodges, John Webber and William Westall.

Thank you to the following organisations for kindly assisting in the provision of illustrations: the Art Gallery of South Australia; National Gallery of Australia; National Library of Australia; National Portrait Gallery of Australia; Art Gallery of New South Wales; State Library of New South Wales; State Library of South Australia and Hordern House; Metropolitan Museum of Art; J Paul Getty Museum, and Yale Center for British Art; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; British Library; British Museum; Bonhams; Christies Fine Art Auctioneers; The Collection Museum, Lincoln; Goodwood Estate; Linnean Society; National Gallery, London; National History Museum, London; National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; National Portrait Gallery, London; Royal Bank of Scotland; Royal Collection; Royal Society; V&A; Wedgwood Museum; Wellcome Collection; also the private collectors who wish to remain anonymous.

Finally, to Richard J. Westall, a direct descendant of William Westall, whose passion for exploring aspects of his forebears life and work has profoundly imprinted on the author.