Captain Cook's HMS Resolution Approaching Raiatea
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HMS Resolution approaching Raiatea shows Captain Cook's arrival at the volcanic island of Raiatea (at the heart of French Polynesia) in September 1773 during his second voyage around the world.
In the painting, the ship is approaching the narrow reef channel that guards Raiatea's anchorage. Under full sail, the Resolution cuts through turquoise waters while the mountainous interior of the island rises dramatically in the background. Local canoes under sail can be seen between the ship and the shore.
This moment is documented in Cook's journal: "After making a few trips, we got before the channel, and with all our sails set, and the head-way the ship has acquired, shut her in as far as she would go; then dropped the anchor, and took in the sails. This is the method of getting into most of the harbours which are on the lee-side of these isles; for the channels, in general, are too narrow to ply in. We were now anchored between the two points of the reef which form the entrance; each not more than two-thirds the length of a cable from us." Illustrating the challenge of navigating these islands!
The painting is created with attention to primary sources, geographic research, and models of the ship. Signed GS in the lower right and dated 2026 in the lower left.
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