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#CookTheCaptainDay #ValentinesDay #DecoloniseHistory

So, what does this tell us?
Western art didn’t just document history—it made history, framing Cook’s death as a tragic fall rather than a consequence of colonial violence. These paintings aren’t neutral; they shaped how Cook is remembered, turning him into a heroic victim rather than an invader.

🎨 John Webber (1783) – As Cook’s official voyage artist, Webber never witnessed his death but still painted it. His version presents Cook as a calm leader, hands raised in a gesture of peace. Conveniently missing? The fact that Cook had taken a Hawaiian chief hostage, which led to his demise.

🎨 Johan Zoffany (c. 1781) – Zoffany goes full Baroque drama. Cook, clad in angelic white, falls like a Christ-like figure. This isn’t just a death scene—it’s propaganda, elevating Cook to saint status while erasing the context of his actions in Hawaii.

🎨 George Carter (1784) – Here, Cook is center stage, bathed in light, a noble martyr overwhelmed by ‘savage’ attackers. The chaotic battle scene isn’t history—it’s a carefully crafted colonial fantasy, reinforcing the idea that Europeans brought "civilisation" to violent, ungrateful lands.

Happy Cook-the-Captain Day ❤️⚔️ aka Valentine’s Day!

On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook met his dramatic end in Kealakekua Bay. While the West framed him as a tragic hero, the paintings of his death tell a different story—one of colonial mythmaking rather than historical reality.

2 days till I sit my doctoral oral exam on my thesis: Decolonial Museum Practice Through Performance Art and Activation - this meme should be my whole slide pack 😌 #decoloniality