The Death of Captain James Cook, 14 February 1779 is an oil-on-canvas painting by the German British artist Johann Zoffany.

Cook angered the native people by attempting to take the local chief, Kalaniʻōpuʻu, as a hostage in order to get a missing boat returned.

Cook's replacement, Captain Clerke, was able to very quickly reestablish a relationship with the Hawaiians, and they left with little ill will.

The native figure is based on the classical sculpture of the Discobolus which Zoffany knew well, and included in his painting Charles Townley in the Park St. Gallery.

[3] He had hoped to sail with Captain Cook, but as a second choice he elected to make the long journey to Lucknow where he painted the life in colonial India.

[5] Zoffany went to see a play at Covent Garden concerning the death of Captain Cook, who had been killed in Hawaii on his third voyage to find the North-West Passage in 1779.

Zoffany borrowed these as props for the construction of the painting which was not intended to be accurate and included poses that were taken from classic statues.

[1] Lever's collection was then disposed of by public lottery, was obtained by James Parkinson, and was exhibited in the Blackfriars Rotunda.

When she died in 1835 the painting was not mentioned specifically and it was left to John Leach Bennet who gave it to Greenwich Hospital.