Transplanting of the Bread Fruit Trees from Otaheite

Thomas Gosse (1765 - 1844)

Captain Cook Memorial Museum

1796

The print was published to celebrate the safe return of William Bligh. Bligh is carefully depicted in naval uniform with the Tahitian King Tu who is wearing a vaguely oriental garb. Gosse is not known to have travelled to the South Seas and the scene is slightly fanciful. The project to transplant breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies was instigated by Sir Joseph Banks to exploit the natural resources of different parts of the world for the benefit of the British Empire.

• Medium: handcoloured mezzotint
• Dimensions: 51 x 64.1cm
• Art Fund Grant: £3646 ( Total: £6,024)
• ArtFunded in: 2004
• Vendor: Christie's

Provenance

Unknown.

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