Schieten en villen van een ijsbeer, 1597 1615 - 1617

This anonymous 17th-century engraving, "Schieten en villen van een ijsbeer," depicts a scene of polar bear hunting in the Arctic. The image shows several men, likely Dutch whalers, working together to kill and skin a bear. This was a common practice during the Dutch Golden Age, as the demand for polar bear furs was high. The engraving, housed at the Rijksmuseum, provides a glimpse into the harsh realities of life for explorers in the Arctic.