A view of Owhyhee, one of the Sandwich Islands

John Cleveley Junior bore the same name as his father, who also had artistic skills. John received lessons from Paul Sandby, Chief Drawing Master at Woolwich, and came to specialise in shipping and riverside scenes. He was chosen to join the Resolution as Joseph Banks' natural history draughtsman on Captain Cook's second voyage to the Pacific (1772-75). However, when Banks' plans fell through, John instead accompanied him on his journey to the Orkneys, Hebrides and Iceland in 1772.

John's brother, James, was carpenter on board the Resolution during Captain Cook's third and final voyage to the Pacific (1776-1780). James is said to have made drawings on the voyage, from which John developed watercolour paintings that were later reproduced in aquatint, as a set of titled engravings. However, the set of four engravings from which this 'View of Owhyhee' comes, include details not accurate to the Pacific at the time, but which were taken from wider European iconography.

The three other views are 'View of Morea, one of the Friendly Islands', View of Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand', and 'View of Huahine, one of the Friendly Islands'. Te Papa has only the 'View of Huahine', and this view of Hawaii, which is better known as 'The death of Captain Cook'.