The National Portrait Gallery acquired Sir Joshua Reynolds’ spectacular Portrait of Mai. Known as “Omai” in England, Mai (ca. 1753-1779) was a native of Raiatea, an island now part of French Polynesia, who travelled from Tahiti to England with Captain James Cook.
Image credit - Mai (Omai) by Sir Joshua Reynolds, circa 1766 © National Portrait Gallery, London
He spent the years 1774-76 in London, where he was received by royalty and the intellectual elite, and indeed became something of a celebrity. Mai returned to his homeland in 1777 and died there two years later.
Image credit - Gallery 18 © Wise Productions, 2023
The work, which depicts the first Polynesian to visit Britain and is regarded as the finest portrait by one of Britain’s greatest artists, was secured for the UK following a historic fundraising campaign which saw the National Portrait Gallery enter into a ground-breaking collaboration with the Getty Museum in the United States and jointly acquire the work. The two institutions will share the painting for public exhibition, research and conservation care, enabling and maximising public access to the work in perpetuity.
Mai will travel periodically between the two countries, sharing time equally between them, including being displayed in the Getty Museum when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympic Games. Our attention now turns to planning and raising funds for a National Sharing Programme so that this extraordinary work is shared with partners whilst in the UK.