Beached Whale 1598

"Beached Whale" (1598) is an etching by Dutch artist Jacob Matham (1571-1631) that depicts a beached whale and the multitude of people who have come to view it. Matham's detailed and meticulous print reflects the fascination with natural phenomena that was common during the Renaissance, and the work serves as a document of social life in early modern Europe. The image's visual impact is heightened by the use of rich detail in the rendering of the whale's anatomy, the varied poses of the human figures, and the surrounding landscape. The etching is currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.