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England’s First View Of America
A striking exhibition of more than seventy watercolours by John White who gave Elizabethan England its first glimpse of America. The paintings were made as a result of his voyages to Virginia (now North Carolina) in the 1580s.
To the best of our knowledge these images are the earliest visual record by an Englishman of the flora, fauna, and people of North America.
The exhibition also features a selection of Elizabethan portraits, maritime and scientific instruments, alongside historic maps, books, prints, and other objects, which relate to the navigation of the period.
John White’s watercolours made a strong impact on how the ‘New World’ was viewed and this legacy continued for over 250 years after his death in part due to the reproduction and adaptation of his work by other artists, some of which are displayed in the Exhibition.
Sir Walter Raleigh financed the first expedition in 1585 and in all probability the drawings and paintings were made for him and Queen Elizabeth. The studies have simplicity and an honesty of portrayal of the Algonquian-speaking Indians whom the colonists encountered in Chesapeake Bay.
The Indians are shown not as crude savages. They are an ordered community who cultivate the land, have sophisticated and practical fishing techniques, organized communal living and religious observance.
They new arrivals were received with welcome. However in an all too brief period the good relations between the Indians and the English soured.
The delicate pictures remain vibrant although they suffered water damage as a result of being rescued from a fire in the 19th century. They are rarely brought out for general exhibition. The last occasion was in 1964.
'A New World' is at the British Museum, London, March 15 until June 17th.
