Americans can now see a famous portrait of the Pacific Islander who captivated 18th-century England for the first time

Americans can now see a famous portrait of the Pacific Islander who captivated 18th-century England for the first time

A detail from Joshua Reynolds’ 'Portrait of Omai,' which was painted in 1776. Wikimedia CommonsIn 1774, a young man in his early 20s named Mai arrived in England. The first Pacific Islander to visit Britain, Mai had joined Captain James Cook’s second expedition during its stop in the Society Islands, which include the islands of Tahiti and Raiatea and today are a part of French Polynesia. Two years after Mai’s landing in England, the painter and…