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Cook controversy commands £318,850
01 Nov 2004
A newly discovered water - colour painting that challenges the popular "authorised version" of Captain James Cook's death in Hawaii in 1779 has sold at auction for £318,850, writes Dave Selby.
In the watercolour painted in, or possibly prior to, 1784, artist John Cleveley portrays Cook in hand to hand combat. However, prints produced from Cleveley's original in 1788 were "edited" to show Cook turning away from his assailants and signalling to his ships to cease fire.
Other engravings produced earlier also portray Cook's death in the same way and over the years this image of Cook as victim of his own humanity has become the authorised version of school history books.
One fact the adds substance to the "Cleveley version" is that his brother James was a carpenter on Cook's last voyage and John Cleveley's watercolours are said to be based on eye-witness sketches made by his brother.
