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

Vries, Jochem de, 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.

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-4065
Dimensionsdepth 5 cm, height 99 cm x width 126.8 cm x thickness 3 cm
Physical characteristicsolieverf op doek

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

Identification

Title(s)
"The Groenlandvaarder ""Zaandam"" of the Shipping Company Claes Taan and Son, Zaandam, on a Whale Hunt"
Object type
Object number
SK-A-4065
Description
De Groenlandvaarder 'Zaandam' van rederij Claes Taan en Zn, Zaandam, op de walvisvangst. Op het water tussen de ijsschotsen varen enkele roeiboten van waaruit op walvissen wordt gejaagd. Om het schip 'Zaandam' bevinden zich meer schepen, links een driemaster met de Deense vlag.
Inscriptions / marks
signature and date: ‘Joghem de Vries Aº 1772’
Catalogue reference
- Tijdschrift voor Zeegeschiedenis 5 (1986), nr. 2, p. 106.
- (Cf.) Zaanlandsch Jaarboek, 1847, p. 59.
- Documentatiemap Schilderijen: aantekeningen R. van Luttervelt (voor 1963).
- Jaarverslag Rijksmuseum (1961), p. (33) 29.
- Jurjen Richard Leinenga, Arctische walvisvangst in de achtiende eeuw : de betekenis van Straat Davis als vangstgebied, proefschrift Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 1995.

Creation

Creation
painter: Vries, Jochem de
Dating
1772
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Material and technique

Physical description
olieverf op doek
Material
Dimensions
- depth 5 cm
- height 99 cm x width 126.8 cm x thickness 3 cm

This work is about

Subject
Place

Acquisition and rights

Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
…; from Hans Sokolowski, Stockholm, fl. 10,000, to the museum, 1961
Remarks
Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

- Tijdschrift voor Zeegeschiedenis 5 (1986), nr. 2, p. 106.
- (Cf.) Zaanlandsch Jaarboek, 1847, p. 59.
- Documentatiemap Schilderijen: aantekeningen R. van Luttervelt (voor 1963).
- Jaarverslag Rijksmuseum (1961), p. (33) 29.
- Jurjen Richard Leinenga, Arctische walvisvangst in de achtiende eeuw : de betekenis van Straat Davis als vangstgebied, proefschrift Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 1995.

Related objects

Persistent URL

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:
https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20028737