Description

HMS Resolution accompanied by HMS Adventure in the Bay of St. Philip and St. James,  on Captain Cook s second voyage.   HMS Resolution had a beautiful stern for the period, reclining Greek male and female flanked by two lions. 

This painting is based on the journal of Captain Cook:

Thursday 25th August 1774.   After doubling the Cape we found the Coast trend away to the South and to form a very large and deep bay of which the land above mentioned was its western boundaries. Everything conspired to make us believe this was the Bay of St Philip and St James discovered by Quiros in 1606. To determine this point it was necessary to search it to the very bottom for at this time we could see no end to it…  

Original watercolour on paper signed lower right, mounted, and framed.