"The Groenlandvaarder ""Zaandam"" of the Shipping Company Claes Taan and Son, Zaandam, on a Whale Hunt" — Jochem de Vries

Jochem de Vries. Painted 1772.

The Greenlandman 'Zaandam ' in the Whaling Grounds, by Joghem de Vries, 1772 .The Dutch had been hunting whales in the Arctic Ocean since the early 17th century. Oil that was extracted from the whale blubber, was used, among other things, as light fuel. Many Dutch whaling vessels sailed from Zaandam. The painter Joghem de Vries was also from Zaandam. It was there that he painted this picture of the 'Zaandam '. The ship, owned by the Zaan company of Claas Taan and Sons, was one of 38 Dutch whalers that sailed to the Davis Strait between Greenland and the North American coast in 1772. The 'Zaandam' returned with 240 barrels of blubber, taken from five whales. Altogether, the fleet killed 240 whales that year. De Vries painted other ships too. On the left is a vessel carrying the Danish flag. Two Eskimos are rowing in their kayak. And in the foreground, the men of the 'Zaandam ' have just harpooned a whale.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

canvas, oil paint (paint) · Original size: 126.8 × 99 cm

Print: 119 × 92.9 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/20028737. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.