The Landing of the Remains of the Honourable Col. Cathcart for interment at Anger(e) Point in the Island of Java
Julius Caesar Ibbetson, the elder
1788
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Julius Caesar Ibbetson, the elder
1788
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Landing of the Remains of the Honourable Col. Cathcart for interment at Anger(e) Point in the Island of Java is a 1788 watercolor by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, the elder, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a busy beach scene with two very different groups of people. On the left, a mix of men and women in light clothing stand near palm trees, while on the right, a group in simpler clothing gathers by boats. Some people are sitting, others stand talking, and a few children play in the sand. In the background, the ocean stretches out with a few ships far away. The artist paid close attention to the contrast between the two groups, showing their different styles of dress and how they interact. The palm trees and warm colors make the scene feel sunny and lively, even though the mood seems serious. Next, look up Romanticism to see how this painting fits into that art movement.
The watercolour depicts the arrival of Colonel Charles Cathcart’s remains at Anger(e) Point, Java, for burial. Initially attributed to John Webber and thought to represent a scene from Captain Cook’s voyage, it was later reattributed to Julius Caesar Ibbetson in 1950. The composition aligns closely with Ibbetson’s oil painting exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1789 and a preparatory sketch owned by J. Stewart Nicoll. Figures in the scene are arranged similarly across these versions.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Julius Caesar Ibbetson painted small, detailed watercolours of British and colonial landscapes in the late 1700s, often showing daily work or faraway places.
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