"Benjamin Russell shows here a lively scene, with probably much rivalry, of eight boat crews attacking a shoal of whales, seven of which are to be seen in this interesting picture. The 'Kutusoff,' at the left, made several successful voyages, bringing back a great deal of whalebone, then so valuable. The 'Factor,' at right, of Poughkeepsie, New York, made a voyage from New Bedford as early as 1844 and was condemned three years later at Tahiti."
See Allan Forbes, Whale Ships and Whaling Scenes as Portrayed by Benjamin Russell. Presenting Reproductions in Color of the Paintings of the Foremost Artist in That Field (Boston: Printed for the Second Bank-State Street Trust Co, 1955), 53.
