After Leloir, Polynesian and Maori Figures, Inhabitants of Nuku Hiva & New Zealand with Canoe, 1845, Lithograph

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Polynesian and Maori Figures – Inhabitants of Nuku Hiva and New Zealand Canoe, c.1845 This beautifully hand-colored lithograph, titled “Océanie … Read more Polynesian and Maori Figures – Inhabitants of Nuku Hiva and New Zealand Canoe, c.1845 This beautifully hand-colored lithograph, titled “Océanie – Polynésie,” originates from Le Monde en Estampes: Types et Costumes des Principaux Peuples de l’Univers, published in Paris around 1845–1850 by Amédée Bedelet. Drawn by Leloir, lithographed by J. Bocquin, and printed by Lemercier, this composition exemplifies the 19th-century French fascination with the peoples and landscapes of the Pacific, rendered here with both artistic elegance and ethnographic imagination. The scene contrasts two cultural groups of the South Pacific — the tattooed habitants de Nouka-Hiva (Îles Marquises) (inhabitants of Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands) and the naturels et pirogue de la Nlle Zélande (Maoris and canoe of New Zealand). On the left, under the shade of a great tree, a Marquesan man reclines with calm authority, his body adorned with intricate tattoos (tā moko), wearing a white cloth and a grand feathered headdress of red and white plumes. Facing him, a woman with a pink skirt and blue drapery stands gracefully, her back also covered in bold tattoos — an emblem of rank, beauty, and identity among Polynesian islanders. On the right, a finely carved pirogue (canoe) glides across calm waters, carrying Maori figures. Two men wrapped in flax cloaks stand proudly near the prow, holding paddles and wearing traditional ornaments, while two paddlers row from the stern. Their presence evokes the seafaring mastery of the Maori people, whose elaborate waka (canoes) were essential to both warfare and ceremony. The background’s gentle cliffs and tropical vegetation evoke an idealized vision of the Pacific islands as seen through European Romanticism — remote, harmonious, and noble. This plate reflects the ethnographic interests of mid-19th-century France, when Polynesia was viewed as an untouched paradise and a mirror of “natural man.” Leloir’s detailed drawing captures both human dignity and decorative splendor, while Lemercier’s printing and Bocquin’s delicate coloring convey subtle skin tones, feather textures, and ocean light with great refinement. Condition report: Excellent impression with bright original coloring. Light foxing in margins; image area clean and crisp. Wide borders intact. Framing tips: Best presented with a soft ivory mat and a dark teak or mahogany frame, echoing the natural tones of the Pacific landscape. A thin inner mat in light blue or coral can highlight the ocean and feather hues. Technique: Hand-colored lithograph Maker: J. Bocquin after Leloir, printed by Lemercier, Paris, circa 1845 See less