In July 1774, a young Pacific Islander called Mai set foot in Spithead, England, becoming the first Polynesian visitor to Great Britain. Upon his arrival, Mai (or “Omai,” as he was known there) aroused widespread interest and admiration across the ranks of British society. Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of the most sought-after painters of the day, captured Mai’s likeness in this imposing full-length portrait. Reynolds depicted Mai—who in England adopted British dress—standing barefoot yet elegant before an idealized tropical landscape.
The dynamic pose recalls one of the most celebrated sculptures from classical antiquity, the Apollo Belvedere, while Mai’s turban and tattooed hands remind us of his non-European origin. The cream-colored fabric of his sash, turban, and robe is likely intended to represent tapa, or bark cloth, which in Mai’s Polynesian culture was traditionally worn by those of high social standing. In April 1776, Reynolds submitted the Portrait of Mai to the Royal Academy’s annual exhibition, where it was met with widespread acclaim.
The reason for Mai’s travel to England was diplomatic. When he was a child, his home island of Raiatea had been attacked by neighboring Bora Bora, and his father killed. His family fled to Tahiti, which in 1767 was invaded by the British Navy and claimed for King George III. Mai, wounded by cannon shot in the siege, was impressed by the foreigners’ weaponry. Thus, a few years later, when Captain Cook’s entourage set forth from the Pacific Islands on their return journey to England, Mai saw a strategic opportunity. He requested passage to Britain on the HMS Adventure in the hope of securing firearms with which he might reclaim his family's land from the Bora Borans.
In June 1776, shortly after the close of the Royal Academy exhibition, Mai embarked on his homeward journey. He would reach the Pacific Islands but died there in 1780 without retaking Raiatea. Meanwhile, the Portrait of Mai, recognized by Reynolds as his masterwork, was kept as a showpiece in the artist’s studio until his death in 1792. Today, this magnificent painting stands as an ominous monument to the era’s complicated history and its troubling legacy: behind its heroic presentation lies the dramatic story of a remarkable individual whose life was profoundly impacted by British colonial expansion.
Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.
