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Notes
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One of a pair with "'Erebus' and 'Terror' in the Antarctic" (BHC1215). This is an interpretation from the scientific expedition of James Clark Ross (1800–1862), to Antarctic waters, 1839–1842, with two ships: his own ship 'Erebus' and the 'Terror', under Commander Francis Crozier. Ross attempted to reach the South Magnetic Pole, also undertaking many scientific studies such as the first extensive series of deep-sea soundings. Influenced by the earlier discoveries of Dumont d' Urville and Charles Wilkes, Ross decided to sail further east before bearing south. He discovered the Ross Sea in January 1841, claimed Franklin Island, and named Mounts Erebus and Terror on Ross Island. His advance was finally stopped by the Ross Ice Shelf, which Ross called the Victoria Barrier. Knighted following his return to England in 1843, he published 'A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions' in 1847.
The artist has created an air of calm and peaceful stillness, tinged with a golden glow indicating that the meeting between the visiting British ships and local people is one of friendship. The smoke on the hills in the distance denotes habitation, palm trees evoke the exotic, yet in the distance the land appears barren, mountainous and hostile. In Ross's 1847 account he observed that instead of the friendly reception anticipated, the natives of New Zealand were prepared to 'seize any opportunity of regaining possession of their lands and driving the Europeans out of the country'. Carmichael was a prolific artist who also produced drawings and engravings for British newspapers. However, since he did not accompany Ross on the expedition, this painting is not an eye-witness account but a response to the publication of Ross's book. The painting has been signed by the artist.
Title
'Erebus' and 'Terror' in New Zealand, August 1841
Date
c.1847
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 87.63 x W 183.6 cm
Accession number
BHC1214
Work type
Painting