Omai, a native of the island of Utietea
Primary Artist
Johann Jacobé (1733–1797)
Title
Omai, a native of the island of Utietea
Date made
1 September 1780 (imprint)
Place made
Europe, England, Greater London, London, Cheapside View on map Close map
Category
Print type
intaglio
Technique
mezzotint, printed in black ink, from one copper plate
Text printed from matrix
printed lower left below image, 'Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.'.
printed lower right below image, 'Engraved by John Jacobe.'
printed centre below image, 'OMAI, / A Native of the Island of Utietea. / Published Sepr. 1st. 1780 by John Boydell, Engraver, in Cheapside, LONDON.'.
Support
medium weight smooth off-white paper
State
Published state
Impression
undesignated impression as issued
Edition information
print run unknown
Inscriptions or device subsequently added to the work
Inscribed verso upper right corner in black pencil, '3192'.
Inscribed verso lower left in black pencil, '26 [upside down] / 812/031 $7,500 framed'.
Inscribed verso lower right corner in black pencil, 'P/+/+ / on approval [upside down]'.
Inscribed verso lower right corner in black pencil, 'L 1 cal [illegible]'.
Inscribed verso lower centre in black pencil, 'P'.
Inscribed verso centre, '[illegible initials upside down]'.
Subject description
Omai, - South sea islander, - b. 1735? - Portraits. | Polynesians - Tahiti - Portraits
Collection
National Gallery of Australia
IRN
183920
Accession number
2009.109
Accession method
Purchase
Meeting
Meeting 5, 2008/2009 (2009-04-28)
Provenance
The Robert and Mary Anne Parks Collection. Purchased by the National Gallery of Australia, from Hordern House, Sydney, April 2009; From the catalogue, 'Captain James Cook: The great Explorer: The Robert and Mary Anne Parks Collection, Sydney: Hordern House, July 2008, cat., no.61.
Credit line
Purchased 2009
Subject categories
Voyages of exploration and discovery 1600-1900: English | Australia, Art period: Pre-European settlement, to 1778
Creators
Reynolds, Joshua. | (1723–1792) English | Male | print after
Jacobé, Johann. | (1733–1797) Austrian | Male | engraver
Last Updated
10 Oct 2025