William Hodges 'Barringtonia' Engraving 1777, printed in the 19th Century

Engraving on wove paper featuring a Barringtonia flowering plant, printed from the original copper plate prepared for A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, and likely issued in the early 19th century. A finely detailed impression of Hodges’ botanical study, rendered with the clarity and precision characteristic of late 18th-century intaglio engraving. The present sheet, on wove paper, suggests a later impression from the original plate, retaining strong line work and tonal definition. Signed in the plate along the bottom edge. 

Presented in a modern brushed silver frame and preserved behind glass. 

Measurements: Artwork: 40cm x 26cm (Frame: 61cm x 44cm

Condition: Preserved in fine condition, displaying only the faintest evidence of handling and age, with minimal perceptible fading. A single horizontal crease is visible to the sheet, unobtrusive and consistent with careful storage. Extremely light, scarcely discernible instances of foxing are present, none of which detract from the overall presentation. The frame is structurally sound and stable, exhibiting only minor surface wear and some small chipping to the corners.

William Hodges was the artist selected to accompany the second voyage (1772-5) of Captain Cook. He made detailed drawings and paintings of the places visited by the expedition, the peoples they encountered, the artefacts they collected and the lands they uncovered. These plates would have accompanied the two-volume published journal printed in 1777, but appear to have been re-mounted into a large album in the nineteenth century. Cook's second voyage was the voyage that cemented his reputation as a navigator.