James King (c. 1750–1784), naval officer, was born in Lancashire and educated at Clitheroe Grammar School before entering the navy in 1762. After serving in Newfoundland under Commodore Hugh Palliser, a friend and patron of Cook’s, he was promoted to lieutenant in 1771 and later undertook scientific study in Paris. Recommended for Cook’s third voyage, he shared duties of astronomer with Cook, contributing much to the various surveys that were completed. After Cook was killed and Charles Clerke, who had transferred from the Discovery to command the Resolution, died of tuberculosis, King commanded the Discovery on the voyage home. It was King who completed the account of the third voyage, working at Woodstock, near Oxford. In 1782, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for his astronomical observations. After more time at sea in the Channel and the West Indies, he saw the publication of the three volumes of the voyage before dying of tuberculosis in Nice at the age of 34.
Francescos Bartolozzi’s engravings of captains James Cook and James King, the only such images ever issued by the artist, were based on paintings by the voyage artist John Webber. Earlier in 1784, Webber had collaborated with Bartolozzi to execute a print of his famous depiction of the death of Cook.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Robert Oatley AO 2007
John Webber (age 33 in 1784)
Francesco Bartolozzi (age 57 in 1784)
Captain James King (age 34 in 1784)
Mr Robert Oatley AO (7 portraits supported)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
11 January 2016
The National Portrait Gallery mourns the loss of one our most generous benefactors, Robert Oatley AO.
An exploration of the role of artists such as John Webber who, whilst a member of Cook’s crew over many voyages, created paintings and drawings of the situations and people the explorers encountered.
