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Neptune raising Captain Cook up to Immortality, a Genius crowning him with a wreath of oak, and Fame introducing him to History
Neptune raising Captain Cook up to Immortality, a Genius crowning him with a wreath of oak, and Fame introducing him to History

Neptune raising Captain Cook up to Immortality, a Genius crowning him with a wreath of oak, and Fame introducing him to History

Engraver (British, 1765 - 1822)
Publisher
Designer (German, 1763 - 1840)
Datec 1790
Object number00001398
NameEngraving
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 386 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThe frontispiece to the Reverend Thomas Bankes's 'New System of Geography'. The piece is titled 'Neptune Raising Captain Cook up to Immortality, a Genius crowning him with a wreath of oak, and Fame introducing him to History. In the foreground are the four quarters of the world presting to Britannia their various stores'. Taken from the Rev. Thomas Bankes' A Modern, Authentic and Complete System of Universal Geography. London: C. Cooke, ca. 1790. Designed by Johann Ramburg, engraved by J Neagle and ornamented by W Grainger.HistoryThomas Bankes was the vicar at Dixton, Monmouthshire and he compiled his geography of all parts of the world, including "a Genuine History and Description of the Whole World." Also included in this work were images and reports from James Cook's three voyages, so that Bankes' volume provided as complete and up-to-date a report on the known world as was available at the time. Bankes relied on travellers’ tales in addition to official accounts of journeys, such as Cook's. The full, and very ambitious, title page for Bankes' book reads "A new royal authentic and complete system of Universal Geography Ancient and Modern. Including all the important discoveries made by the English, and other celebrated navigators of various nations, in the different hemispheres; and containing a complete genuine history and description of empires, kingdoms, states, republics, provinces, continents, islands, oceans etc. with the various countries, cities, towns, promontories, capes, bays, peninsulas, isthmuses, gulphs, rivers, harbours, lakes, aqueducts, mountains, volcanoes, caverns, deserts etc. throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and America..with an account of the religion, laws, customs, manners, genius, tempers, habits. amusements and singular ceremonies of the respective inhabitants... including everything curious as related by the most eminent travellers and navigators, from the earliest accounts to the present time. Likewise the essence of the voyage of the most enterprising navigators of different nations and countries..." Cook was representative all these men and their achievements and his untimely death served as a constant reminder to all of the danger and heroism involved in mapping the globe. SignificanceThe death of Captain Cook was often depicted as that of a hero and he was tranfomed into a martyr for later generations to aspire to. Images such as this show Cook now in the realm of the divine, receiving gratitude and adulation.