Sperm whale beached near Berkhey on 3 February, 1598
This engraving became the primary model for subsequent recordings of beached whales through the seventeenth century from Holland to Italy. Produced by one of the foremost print workshops of its day, the engraving must have been widely circulated. It was among the early naturalistic depictions of a beaching and expressed the great excitement and curiosity such events aroused across a wide swath of the public. Whale specialists have pointed out some inaccuracies in the depiction, including the placement of the fin and the shape of the mouth.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sperm whale beached near Berkhey on 3 February, 1598
- Artist: Jacob Matham (Netherlandish, Haarlem 1571–1631 Haarlem)
- Artist: After Hendrick Goltzius (Netherlandish, Mühlbracht 1558–1617 Haarlem)
- Date: 1598
- Medium: Engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet: 12 1/16 × 16 3/4 in. (30.6 × 42.5 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
- Object Number: 51.501.6056
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
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Jacob Matham
1615
Multiple artists/makers
1590–1631
Multiple artists/makers
1585–1631
Jacob Matham
Abraham Bloemaert
ca. 1595
Jacob Matham
Hendrick Goltzius
1571–1631
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