AF-WB-1079.T.jpg

Hand-colored mezzotint depicting a Greenland whaling scene. In the lower left foreground, men attack a polar bear with lances on a piece of floating ice. At right, three whaleboats surround a spouting whale, with their harpooneersmen poised to strike. Behind them, two whaleboats pull a whale by its harpoon lines; the whale is spouting, indicating that it is still alive. In the background are seven ships, the closest of which flies a flag which has been colored as a reversed French tricolore.
At bottom center is a box with the artist information and title: "Vdr. Mauden delin. T. Willson fecit. The GREENLAND WHALE FISHERY." At bottom left is printed "478".


whales
1700-01-02
PERMANENT COLLECTION
Hart Nautical
Willson, T.; Maulen, V.
ink; paper; color wash
12 1/2 in x 15 3/4 in
Britain: London