Description
Significant half-length engraved portrait by Nicholas-Martin Petit depicts an Aboriginal man with his hair wrapped in paperbark strips. The artwork originates from the renowned French expedition led by Nicolas Baudin, which documented various aspects of the people and landscapes encountered during their exploration of the Australian continent.
The subject of the portrait is identified as “Cour-rou-bari-gal,” a name provided by the man himself to Petit as the artist sketched him. Based on linguistic and cultural interpretation, it is believed that the name reflects a broader description rather than a personal one. “Kuri” means “man” in the language of the local Indigenous people, while “Boregegal” refers to the clan from the Bradleys Head area, known as Booragy or Burroggy to the Aboriginal people. Thus, the man’s response likely conveyed his identity as a man of the Boregegal (Bradleys Head) clan.
This portrait, created during Baudin’s visit in Sydney in 1802, is a rare visual record of the Indigenous peoples of the region, reflecting not only their physical appearance but also offering valuable insight into cultural identifiers such as clan affiliation and traditional adornment. The image is an important testament to the encounters between European explorers and the Indigenous people of Australia during the early colonial period, preserving the names and representations of those who lived in the area before significant disruptions brought on by European settlement.
From: Francois Peron, Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terre d’Australes.
Collections:
British Museum: 2016,2024.4 |
National Gallery Australia: Accession no NGA 2013.4131.20
National Gallery Victoria: Accession Number 2010.96.26
National Museum Australia: 1995.0006.0034
State Library NSW: a2478029 /MRB F81/11
References:
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 : : 449.
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 : :: 229.
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967 : : 60998.
Tooley, R.V. The Mapping of Australia. London 1979 : : 610-23.
Nissen, C. Die illustrierten Vogelbucher. Stuttgart 1995 : ZBI 3120.
Monglond, A. La France revolutionnaire et imperiale: annales de bibliographie .. Geneva, 1930-78 : VII, 675 ff.
