Joseph Dufour. Marquesas. 1804.

Joseph Dufour et Cie (est. 1797)

Marquesas
From: *“Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique” or “Les Voyages du Capitaine Cook”*
Designed by Jean-Gabriel Charvet (1750–1829)
Mâcon and Paris, France: 1804–1805 Block-printed wallpaper

Dimensions: 69" x 62"

This panel offers a graceful shift in tone within Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique, transporting the viewer to the Marquesas Islands, where diplomacy, performance, and regal poise converge in an atmospheric island setting. The landscape is framed by dramatic, misted mountains — a nod to the topography of the Marquesas — and softened by the refined presence of leaders and courtiers at ease.
• At center, the celebrated Omai, a young Tahitian who traveled to England with Captain Furneaux and was later presented at the court of King George III, is depicted with a calm yet commanding posture. He stands beside Chief Finau 'Ulukalala of Tonga — a pairing that, while geographically and temporally stylized, expresses the Enlightenment desire to visualize idealized cross-cultural harmony among the Pacific elite.
• To the right, King Honoo and his queen preside over a gathering that is at once ceremonial and intimate. Draped figures recline and converse, while attendants and musicians add texture and rhythm to the scene. The setting evokes not just hospitality, but an entire social order rooted in aesthetic grace, political nuance, and ritual elegance.
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Historical and Cultural Context: This panel draws deeply from the romanticized narratives that followed Captain Cook’s voyages, particularly the European fascination with the idea of the “noble islander.”
• Omai, as the first Polynesian widely known in Britain, became a symbol of Enlightenment-era curiosity and admiration. His presence here, though fictionalized, reflects how Charvet and Dufour shaped this panorama as both a historical tableau and an imaginative projection of cultural harmony.
• The Marquesan court, meanwhile, is presented with theatrical beauty — echoing reports from early French and British expeditions that described the Marquesas as rich in artistry, dance, and political ceremony. King Honoo’s court embodies the notion of a regal society governed not by European hierarchy, but by its own deep-rooted traditions and protocols.
While idealized through a neoclassical French lens, this panel avoids caricature and instead offers a respectful vision of Pacific nobility. It transforms real and imagined encounters into an immersive composition of color, ceremony, and cultural reverence — a striking tribute to the diplomacy and dignity of the island societies that so captivated Enlightenment Europe.