Old Spirit of the Sea

Old Spirit of the Sea

2006

Australian, born 1943

"The Duyfken in 1606 was the first ship to sail to what is now called Australia. Commander Willem Janszoon sailed down south of the west coast of Cape York for 200 miles. The sailors' first encounter with the Aboriginal people was not friendly, the crew was attached and being short of supplies Janszoon decided to turn back. One could only guess what the Aboriginals thought when they saw the big white sails of the Duyfken; the sails would have looked like a big white bird, and the sailors, being white, would have made the Aboriginal people think it was their ancestors' spirits coming back from the dead." -- Laurel Nannup

Lift-ground aquatint and spit-bite etching in two colors with hand coloring, printed from two copper plates

Image: 23 5/8 x 15 3/4in. (60 x 40cm)

Sheet: 29 15/16 x 22 1/16in. (76 x 56cm)

Gift of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

2007.81.7

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Not currently on view

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