Hermine David Art

"Poulaho, King of the Friendly Islands, Drinking Kava" is an engraving created by William Sharp (1749-1824), from a drawing by John Webber (1752-1793), who was the artist on Captain James Cook's 3rd and final voyage of discovery. It was published in the atlas of "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean Undertaken by the Command of His Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere", the official British Admirality sanctioned journal published upon completion of the voyage in London in 1784 by Strahan & Cadell. Captain Cook visited Tonga on his 3rd voyage, which he named The Friendly Islands because of the warm welcome he and his crew received, unlike some of the other more hostile Pacific islands. The engraving depicts Cook and his men observed a kava ceremony at the village of Mu’a on Tongatapu. King Paulaho sits in the centre foreground, his back to the spectator with a man kneeling before him. The ceremonial mat depicted behind Paulaho indicates that nobody was allowed to sit behind him. The figure in the centre holds a single cup, referring to the Tongan custom of offering the cup to the king first. Kava is native to the islands of the South Pacific and was first described for English readers in 1768 by Captain James Cook. The kava root has been used for centuries as a central feature of ceremonies and celebrations because it was able to bring about a calming and pleasant social atmosphere. The root was crushed and processed into coconut milk to become the focal ceremonial beverage, simply referred to as kava. This engraving is presented in a Koa wood frame and a white mat. Koa wood is legendary in Hawaii. There are occasional faint spots, but the print is otherwise in very good condition. This amazing Koa wood is native to Hawaii and it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern. Koa has an honored heritage in Hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. The word “koa” means “warrior” in Hawaiian. The warriors of King Kamehameha the Great, created canoes and weapons from a wood plentiful on the Big Island of Hawaii. This wood became synonymous with the warriors themselves, and it became known as koa. There are three other engravings listed from the official journal of Captain Cook's 3rd voyage available that are presented in identical Koa wood frames and mats (LU117324682422, LU117324684052, LU117324684032). They would make a wonderful grouping for a display of 2, 3 or 4 prints. A discount is available for a grouping depending on the number of items included. Captain Cook is remembered as one of the greatest explorers and navigators in history. His explorations included Australia, New Zealand and islands of the South Pacific and the northwest coast of North America. Hawaii was discovered by Captain Cook during this voyage. Hawaii was originally called The Sandwich Islands in honor of The Earl of Sandwich...

This is a sensitive small-scale study portrait of a young girl, executed in warm monochrome brown tones. Painted during the second half of the 19th century, oil on paper and mounted ...

Etching with drypoint on cream wove paper with deckle edges, 4 3/8 x 12 3/4 inches (233 x 323 mm); sheet 9 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches (240 x 338 mm), full margins. Signed and numbered 4/75 ...

Lower Manhattan and the Seaport as the artist imagined it would have appeared before 1835. New York: 1907. Etching with drypoint on Japon paper, 13 7/8 x 9 3/4 inches (353 x 248 mm...

In The Piper Plays, Raymond Debiève captures a quietly lyrical moment through this expressive oil on board composition. The subject, immersed in music, is rendered with a loose, conf...

A fine small plein air study of three women picking flowers on the meadow next to white cliffs and sea. In the horizon where the sky ends, the contours of mainland is visible as a sh...

This is a truly stunning work by contemporary great, Glenn Brown. This work is an Artist Proof, one of only 12 created. The frame is handmade by famous London framers, Darbyshire. I...

Pencil on paper Signed and dated (lower right) 29cm × 21cm (48cm × 39cm framed) A truly original artist, Lear spent most of his 70 year career exploring beautifully proportioned mal...

Etching, drypoint, and roulette on watermarked Hallines cream laid paper, 3 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches (95 x 148 mm), full margins. A very good impression of this charming image, with all of...

This stunning abstract artwork was made in 1962, by the well known Italian artist Ermete Lancini. The artwork is an oil pastel painting and a collage w...

Evocative and expressive contemporary self portrait titled "Unfinished Story" by Alexander Gore (Russian, b. 1958), 2010. Signed upper left edge. Unframed. Image, 15"H x 11"W. Ale...

An enchanting Southern landscape by the mother of the Charleston Renaissance. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, and educated under the tutelage of Thomas Anshutz at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, O'Neill Verner was a teacher, a mother, an artist, an ardent preservationist, and a skilled autodidact. Having previously focused on painting, in the early 1920s she found herself deeply moved by printmaking as a media, and especially so by the simple, peaceful themes and tableaus she discovered in Japanese art. She embarked on a effort to teach herself Japanese printmaking techniques, and in the process, produced the charming images of every day life in Charleston and its environs that earned her recognition as a cultural icon in her day, and in more modern times, as the mother of the Charleston Renaissance, which flourished well into the 1930s. In 1923 she opened a studio in Charleston where she focused on documenting the local color and the architecture and landscape that distinguishes Charleston as one of the South's most beautiful cities, all the while applying the gentle and poetic thematic sensibilities of Japanese printmaking. O'Neill Verner soon found herself in high demand when municipalities and institutions throughout the country sought commissions from her to document the beauty of their grounds and historic buildings. She worked as far north as the campuses of Harvard and Princeton, and extensively across the South, including in Savannah, Georgia, where through sweeping commissions she was able to marry her love of southern preservation and art. O'Neill Verner was a lifelong learner, and continued a path of edification that led her to study etching at the Central School of Art in London, to travel extensively through Europe, and to visit Japan in 1937, where she studied sumi (brush and ink) painting. She was a founding member of the Charleston Etchers Club, and the Southern States Art League. Her works are represented in the permanent collections of leading museums across the American south, and in major national institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston's Museum of Fine Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. O'Neil Verner...