The Reception of the Rev. J. Williams, at Tanna in the South Seas, the Day Before He was Massacred
1841
Medium
Steel engraving colored with wooden blocks on cream wove paper, laid down on buff board
Dimensions
Image/primary support: 21.3 × 31.8 cm (8 7/16 × 12 9/16 in.)
Classification
wood engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
59521
Art Historical Context
George Baxter’s 1841 print captures a poignant and dramatic moment in missionary history: the arrival of the Reverend John Williams on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific, just one day before his murder in 1839. The scene shows Williams being welcomed by islanders amid a lush tropical setting, rendered with careful attention to dress, gesture, and landscape. Created only two years after the event, the image reflects both public fascination with missionary accounts and the era’s growing interest in the Pacific Islands. Baxter was renowned for his innovative color-printing process, which c...