奥迈肖像

In 1776, while Britain was losing patience with its American colonies, London was fascinated by a young man from the far side of the world. Mai had come from Ra'iatea in the Society Islands, arriving in 1774 on one of Captain Cook's ships, and for two years he was a celebrity, presented to the King and dined out across the city. Reynolds painted him life-size, barefoot, wrapped in flowing white robes with tattoos on his hands, looking more like a classical philosopher than a visitor in London dress. For generations the picture was called Omai, a slight mishearing of his name. His real name, Mai, is the one the title now uses. In 2023 two galleries in Britain and California bought it together for 50 million pounds, so it can keep being shown on both sides of the Atlantic.