Aangespoelde potvis

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Cornelis van Noorde’s 1762 etching *Aangespoelde potvis* captures a dramatic moment when a sperm whale washed ashore on the Dutch coast. In the eighteenth century such strandings were rare public spectacles, drawing crowds and inspiring both scientific curiosity and popular prints. Van Noorde, active in Haarlem, used the etching medium to translate the massive creature’s form into a portable image that could circulate among collectors and scholars. The fine, controlled lines of etching allowed the artist to render the whale’s textured skin, the curve of its jaw, and the surrounding figures wh...

About the Artist

Cornelis van Noorde · 1731–1795

Comment on works: Landscapes; Portraits; Engraver