A Whale-Oil Factory of the Nordic or Greenland Company on Amsterdam Island at the north end of Spitzbergen (Svalbard) — Cornelis de Man

Cornelis de Man. Painted 1639.

Smerenburg on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen was a settlement of Dutch whalers. As the painter never went there, he combined familiar images and stories in this work. The mountain at the left is probably on Jan Mayen Island. Strips of whale blubber are boiled and rendered into train (whale) oil in the numerous try-pots on the beach. The men’s barracks are visible in the right background.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Currently on display in 17th Century, Main building, The Netherlands overseas.

oil paint (paint), canvas · Original size: 205 × 108 cm · Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt

Print: 119 × 62.7 cm, printed on Hahnemühle FineArt archival cotton paper. Museum-grade reproduction quality, true to the colours and detail of the original work.

Frame (optional): a custom-made wooden frame in a matte black finish, cut to the exact dimensions of this print, with an off-white passe-partout mat and protective glazing. Ready to hang.

Source: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200109442. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.