Born in England in 1752, Webber was the son of the Swiss sculptor Abraham Webber. He studied in Berne and Paris, and on returning to England he was employed by the Admiralty as an artist on the voyage in the 'Resolution', accompanying Captain Cook on his third world voyage. During the voyage he recorded scenes in Canada, New Zealand, Van Dieman's Land, and Hawaii. He survived the massacre at Hawaii and on his return to England in 1780 produced a number of drawings and engravings. He exhibited around 50 works at Royal Academy exhibitions between 1784 and 1792, and was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1785.
The earliest auction listing we have for John Webber is in 1974 and in total 55 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 39 (71%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $506,000 for Portrait of Captain James Cook, RN., 1728-1779 sold by Sotheby's in March 1983. This year one work has been offered for sale. Works by John Webber are held by the Ian Potter Museum of Art, National Gallery of Australia and a further five major public national galleries (see list below).
John Webber is listed in the following standard biographical references:
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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