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John Cleveley's Family Connection to hawaii

What Am I Looking At?
This is one of the most interesting and unique objects on the Museum Walkway - and thanks to a mystery and a connection to Hawai`i, potentially the most significant. In September 1771, John Cleveley, a shipwright (carpenter) at the Royal Dockyard at Deptford, was present for the launching of the Royal Navy's newest warship, the 74-gun HMS Grafton. Also present were King George III and Queen Charlotte and a host of other spectators. In addition to his carpentry job, Cleveley was a talented artist who had been painting scenes at the dockyard, ships, and events like this one for over twenty years. One of Cleveley's techniques was to paint two views of the same ship, and here, he gives us a look at Grafton from two different angles and two different settings. The ship nearest us has just been launched from its slipway and is surrounded by smaller boats that will move her to a nearby dock where her masts and rigging will be installed. At the far left, Grafton is still on the slipway, just prior to her launch at 3:00 p.m., September 26, 1771.
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Oil on Canvas
c. 1771 - 1776
England
Recording the launch of a Royal Navy Warship
John Cleveley (The Elder) 1712-1777Oil on canvas c.1772 England
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The Mystery Behind This Painting
We know that John Cleveley created two different paintings to record the events in 1771. He exhibited one in 1773, and it has been in various collections in Britain since then. He exhibited the second painting - this one - in 1776. And then it disappeared. Purchased in 1988 by developer Chris Hemmeter, this painting has been here on the Walkway ever since. It has only recently been researched and its identity established. Where it has been for over 200 years is unknown.
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James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution (l) and HMS Discovery (r) off Tahiti.
John Cleveley's original version, showing Cook, in white, fighting the crowd with his clubbed musket.
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James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution (l) and HMS Discovery (r) off Tahiti.

CHINESE STYLE OF GUARDIAN LION

"SHISHI"

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tablet tours

On the tablet: This object appears on the following tablet tours or experiences.See Guardian lions as they protect temples, palaces, and other locations in Asia.
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John Cleveley and His Hawai'i Connection
There is no evidence that John Cleveley ever left Great Britain, and of course, Hawai'i hadn't been discovered by Captain James Cook in 1771, but Cleveley had a surprising connection to the Big Island. First, Cook's ship, the HMS Resolution, was being refitted at Deptford for his first voyage to the Pacific at the same time Grafton was launched. As a carpenter, Cleveley may have worked on the smaller ship.But the stronger connection came through two family members. Son James, also a shipwright at Deptford, signed on as ship's carpenter aboard Resolution for Cook's third voyage to the Pacific, which led to his discovery of Hawai'i in 1778. James Cleveley, also a talented artist, was present when Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island in February 1779 and sketched the event. He gave this to his older brother John, an artist who followed in his father's footsteps as a marine painter. John Jr. produced a watercolor of the event. This image would prove controversial.
A Hero - Not Heroic Enough
John Cleveley Jr.'s version of Cook's death might have been accurate, thanks to the sketch by his brother James, who was present for the event. But people in England apparently thought that it didn't show Cook's death in the most favorable light. After Cleveley died in 1786, another artist, possibly Francis Jukes, made some substantial changes. First, the size of the crowd became much larger, and the odds against Cook and his handful of men much greater. Second, Cook was portrayed with his back to the crowd, waving to his men in nearby boats and on ships farther away to stop shooting at the crowd. As he makes this self-sacrificing gesture, he is struck down. This more popular portrayal of Cook has been the commonly accepted version of his death. It is almost certainly wrong.
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A revised version of John Cleveley's painting, published posthumously.Tap or click on the image for an enlarged version.
The Death of Captain Cook. Watercolor by John Cleveley (The Younger). Cook, at lower left wearing white, has raised his clubbed musket to fight off a crowd of Hawaiians armed with rocks, clubs, and knives. English sailors and marines in boats offshore fire into the crowd as others on Discovery and Resolution fire the ships' 6-pound cannons toward the shore. Tap or click on the image for an enlarged version
On the tablet: This object appears on the following tablet tours or experiences.See Guardian lions as they protect temples, palaces, and other locations in Asia.
  • Can you tell where the lions come from by their mane?
  • How are the lions' tails different?
  • Check the placement. Are the male lions always on the right as you enter?
Look Closer
  • How many pairs of guardian lions do you see on the walkway?
  • When you see a pair of lions, what are they protecting?
  • Which of the lions are from China, and how can you tell?
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keiki connection
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Along the Waterways of Old China - Chinese trade paintingsTap or click on image to go.
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