DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0139
84
E. A. Hooton
previous to October, 1821, by some person, at present unknown. The following entries
in the Catalogue of the East India Marine Society, published in 1821, refer to them:
“1412 whole length side view of a female Hottentot, taken by a French Artist from
life, at Capetown, Cape of Good Hope, in 1807.
1413 A drawing of a part of a Hottentot, done in 1807.” 2
In the year 1800, at the proposal of the Institute, the French Government dispatched
a scientific expedition to the Antipodes. The naturalists attached to this expedition
were F. Peron and C. A. Lesueur. After an exploration marked by many misfortunes,
the ship carrying these naturalists on the return voyage touched at Table Bay, Cape of
Good Hope, January 3, 1804. In the course of a sojourn of three weeks at the Cape,
Peron and Lesueur made a study of the tablier in Hottentot women, illustrated with
paintings from life by Lesueur. For some reason the French government did not publish
the last two volumes of the results of the expedition. The memoire written at the Cape
was read by Peron in 1805 at a meeting of the Class of Physical and Natural Sciences
of the Institut de France. Although this memoire was approved for publication by
Cuvier and de Labillardiere, it remained unpublished until 1883, after the manuscript
and plates had been resurrected by G. Lennier, Director of the Museum of Havre.3
In this memoire, referring to other material dealing with the tablier there occurs
the following passage:4
“Dois-je aj outer ici que M. Thibault, ingenieur de la colonie du Cap de Bonne-
Esperance, m’a dit lui-meme avoir peint une de ces femmes dans de tres grandes pro-
portions, sur la priere qui lui fut faite par le Gouverneur anglais qui commandait alors
au Cap? Son travail doit exister en Angleterre ou il fut envoye.”
This fortunate clue led to a consultation of the Records of the Cape Colony, where
the first reference to our artist is an inventory “of all such Companys Buildings, Fortifica-
tions & Estates &c. as were existant at the Surrender of the Cape of Good Hope to the
Arms of His Britannic Majesty, and at present, according to the Capitulation & by order
of the undersigned Commissary of this Government are delivered by the Major of Artil-
lery George Coenraad Kuchler & the Captain of Engineers Louis Michel Thibault for a
Receipt, to the Captain of Engineers Bridges & the Lieutenant of the said Engineers
Elphinstone, commissioned for this purpose by the commanding Officers of His said
2 The last figure of the date on the drawing may be either 1 or 7. The entry in the Catalogue gives the date
as 1807, but the compiler of the catalogue almost certainly misinterpreted the figure, as, on the basis of the historical
evidence cited below, the date must be 1801.
3G. Lennier, ‘Note sur 1’expcdition frangaise des terres australes pendant les annees 1802-1804’ (Bulletin
de la Society Zoblogique de France, 8, 1883, p. 7). Blanchard, ‘Etude sur la stcatopygie et la tablier des femmes
boschimanes’ (Ibid. p. 54, sq.).
4 F. Peron et C. A. Lesueur, ‘Observations sur le Tablier des Femmes Hottentotes’ (Ibid., p. 20).
E. A. Hooton
previous to October, 1821, by some person, at present unknown. The following entries
in the Catalogue of the East India Marine Society, published in 1821, refer to them:
“1412 whole length side view of a female Hottentot, taken by a French Artist from
life, at Capetown, Cape of Good Hope, in 1807.
1413 A drawing of a part of a Hottentot, done in 1807.” 2
In the year 1800, at the proposal of the Institute, the French Government dispatched
a scientific expedition to the Antipodes. The naturalists attached to this expedition
were F. Peron and C. A. Lesueur. After an exploration marked by many misfortunes,
the ship carrying these naturalists on the return voyage touched at Table Bay, Cape of
Good Hope, January 3, 1804. In the course of a sojourn of three weeks at the Cape,
Peron and Lesueur made a study of the tablier in Hottentot women, illustrated with
paintings from life by Lesueur. For some reason the French government did not publish
the last two volumes of the results of the expedition. The memoire written at the Cape
was read by Peron in 1805 at a meeting of the Class of Physical and Natural Sciences
of the Institut de France. Although this memoire was approved for publication by
Cuvier and de Labillardiere, it remained unpublished until 1883, after the manuscript
and plates had been resurrected by G. Lennier, Director of the Museum of Havre.3
In this memoire, referring to other material dealing with the tablier there occurs
the following passage:4
“Dois-je aj outer ici que M. Thibault, ingenieur de la colonie du Cap de Bonne-
Esperance, m’a dit lui-meme avoir peint une de ces femmes dans de tres grandes pro-
portions, sur la priere qui lui fut faite par le Gouverneur anglais qui commandait alors
au Cap? Son travail doit exister en Angleterre ou il fut envoye.”
This fortunate clue led to a consultation of the Records of the Cape Colony, where
the first reference to our artist is an inventory “of all such Companys Buildings, Fortifica-
tions & Estates &c. as were existant at the Surrender of the Cape of Good Hope to the
Arms of His Britannic Majesty, and at present, according to the Capitulation & by order
of the undersigned Commissary of this Government are delivered by the Major of Artil-
lery George Coenraad Kuchler & the Captain of Engineers Louis Michel Thibault for a
Receipt, to the Captain of Engineers Bridges & the Lieutenant of the said Engineers
Elphinstone, commissioned for this purpose by the commanding Officers of His said
2 The last figure of the date on the drawing may be either 1 or 7. The entry in the Catalogue gives the date
as 1807, but the compiler of the catalogue almost certainly misinterpreted the figure, as, on the basis of the historical
evidence cited below, the date must be 1801.
3G. Lennier, ‘Note sur 1’expcdition frangaise des terres australes pendant les annees 1802-1804’ (Bulletin
de la Society Zoblogique de France, 8, 1883, p. 7). Blanchard, ‘Etude sur la stcatopygie et la tablier des femmes
boschimanes’ (Ibid. p. 54, sq.).
4 F. Peron et C. A. Lesueur, ‘Observations sur le Tablier des Femmes Hottentotes’ (Ibid., p. 20).