Inquiring eyes : artists of exploration
(Book - Regular Print)

ProQuest Document ID : 1018070716

Advisor : Walt Anderson

Thesis (M.A.) -- Prescott College, 2012

Before the invention of photography, artists were essential members of exploratory expeditions. When science emerged as a worthy goal of exploration during the Enlightenment, commanders of European naval vessels began to assign naturalist duties to officers and surgeons, and the ship's manifest often included civilian passengers who filled this role. Professional artists documented the living colors, landscapes, and events that could not otherwise be preserved. They played a crucial role in documenting new discoveries and offering the only visual record of new lands, species, and cultures to the people of their home countries. In 2005-2006, I spent one year in Argentine Patagonia, French Polynesia, and Australia, searching for specific places and organisms depicted in artwork produced on European expeditions of discovery between 1750 and 1850, and creating my own artwork in the same places. I researched the official roles, personal backgrounds, and professional training of twelve artists on six expeditions, and combined this information with a personal narrative to explore the responsibilities and far-reaching influence of artists on exploring expeditions.