Aground (2011)* - John Webb Artworks

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Aground (2011)
The Captain Cook Trio
1.08 x 1.3m

Image details:


Aground The Captain Cook Trio (2011) (Detail 1 )	Aground The Captain Cook Trio (2011) (Detail 2)	Aground The Captain Cook Trio (2011) (Detail 3)

Notes:

The work:

I saw a TV show about the amazing voyages James Cook made. A replica of his boat the Endeavour is moored at Sydney and I had a close look at it. From this the trio of Captain Cook works evolved.

Australian context:

The story of Cook's first voyage around the world - from his own journal - can be read online (courtesy of Gutenberg.org). Chapter 8 addresses the voyage around the east coast of Australia, including the first landfall (29 April 1770), the grounding of the Endeavour on a reef (10 June 1770), and the naming of Cook's passage (14 August 1770 ) after sighting it from the top of Lizard Island.

The National Museum of Australia writes:

"On 10 June 1770, HMB Endeavour under the command of Captain James Cook was sailing north along the east coast of Australia. At 11 pm, it struck a reef and started taking in water. Desperate to lighten the ship, the crew heaved nearly 48 tonnes of material over the side, including ballast and cannons. Twenty-three hours later, at the next high tide, the Endeavour pulled free. Six weeks were spent repairing the ship at what became known as Endeavour River in Queensland."

Endeavour's ballast and cannons were found, encased in coral, on the ocean floor off Queensland in 1969."


Satellite image of Endeavour Reef Image: NASA via Wikipedia	The HM Endeavour replica in the Endeavour River. Endeavour River National Park is in the background. Image: John Hill, Wikipedia

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