The Ducie collection of First Fleet art [picture] / [George Raper]
- Bib ID:
- 3563487
- Format:
- Picture
- Author:
- Raper, George, 1769-1796
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Description:
-
- 1788
- 56 drawings : watercolour ; 40.7 x 32 cm. or smaller.
- Summary:
-
The Ducie collection contains 53 watercolours attributed to George Raper, a midshipman on the flag ship 'Sirius', and one of the most talented First Fleet artists. They show the birds and flowers of the Port Jackson area as Raper saw them between 1788 and 1790. Many are the first visual records by a European artist of particular species such as the swamp lily and wedding bush and reflect the awe and wonder of the sailors as they encountered Australian birds and plants for the first time. The collection also contains 3 drawings of South African birds, presumed to have been executed by Raper on any one of three visits to South Africa between 1787 and 1792.
- Biography/History:
-
Seaman and artist. Joined HMS Sirius as able bodied seaman Dec 1786 and promoted to midshipman Sept 1787 on voyage to New South Wales. Sailed on Sirius on voyage to Cape of Good Hope 1788-89 and was at Norfolk Island in 1790-91. Returned to England in April 1792.
- Notes:
-
- Collection title devised by cataloguer.
- Attributed to George Raper by National Library of Australia Pictures Branch.
- Some of the watercolours have pencil inscriptions on them. Some have watermarks on the paper.
- Some of the works in this collection were used as a basis for works in Birds & flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788, '89 and '90 / John Hunter. The Hunter work is located in the National Library of Australia Pictures collection.
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-150067635
- Source of Acquisition:
- Purchased from the Ducie/Moreton family, October 2005.
- Subject:
- Related Records:
-
This is a collection.
This collection contains 56 records. - Copyright:
-
Out of Copyright
If you wish to copy or order copies, contact us.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Creator Date of Death is Before 1955
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Artistic
- Presumed date of death of creator (latest date):
- 1796
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1788
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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