Alexander Hogg (active 1770s–1800s) - Landscape View in the Island of Pines – New Caledonia – Engraving

This Pacific landscape shows a coastal scene on the Isle of Pines, the island off the southern tip of New Caledonia, sighted and named by Captain James Cook in September 1774 during his second voyage around the world. The view is dominated by the tall, slender native pines that gave the island its name. These columnar trees, now known as Cook pines (Araucaria columnaris), astonished the expedition's sailors and naturalists, who at first mistook their distant silhouettes for basalt columns. In the foreground, lush coastal vegetation surrounds a traditional dwelling, and a seated figure rests near the water's edge, introducing a human presence into the exotic landscape. The composition reflects the documentary aims of eighteenth-century voyage illustration, which sought to record for European audiences the landscapes, plants and peoples encountered in the South Seas, and goes back to images made by the artists who accompanied Cook's expeditions. The plate was published by Alexander Hogg in London, most likely for George William Anderson's A New, Authentic and Complete Collection of Voyages Round the World (1784–1786). This popular folio work, issued in weekly numbers, retold the voyages of Captain Cook and other navigators for a broad reading public and was illustrated with numerous engraved views, portraits and maps.

Alexander Hogg was a London publisher and bookseller based at the King's Arms, Paternoster Row, active from the 1770s until the early nineteenth century. He specialised in large illustrated works issued in affordable weekly parts, making subjects such as history, geography and exploration accessible to a growing middle-class readership. His publications included popular collections of voyages and travels, histories of England and London, and works of natural history. The editions of Cook's voyages issued by Hogg were especially successful, spreading the excitement of Pacific exploration to a wide audience in late eighteenth-century Britain.

Artist or Maker: Alexander Hogg
Dimensions: Approximately 35 cm x 24 cm.
Medium: Engraving.
Date: 18th Century.
SKU: PLA-0930-2

____

Shipping & Combined Purchases:

We are happy to combine multiple purchases into one shipment, helping you save on shipping costs. Please contact us before making payment so that we can calculate and adjust the shipping cost accordingly.

All items are professionally packed and shipped from France by Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) on behalf of Dahlströms Rare Prints OÜ, Estonia.

Every shipment is fully insured and sent exclusively via UPS or FedEx, with tracking provided after dispatch.

We handle every shipment with the utmost care, ensuring that our antique prints, maps and rare books arrive safely and in the condition described.