Slachten van de potvis gestrand tussen Zandvoort en Wijk aan Zee, 1762 1762

"Slachten van de potvis gestrand tussen Zandvoort en Wijk aan Zee, 1762," is an etching by Johannes Swertner from 1762 that depicts the butchering of a beached sperm whale. The scene is set on the beach near Zandvoort and Wijk aan Zee, with a group of men working to dismember the whale. Swertner, a Dutch artist known for his meticulous detail, captures the gruesome scene with accuracy and graphic intensity. The etching, now held in the Rijksmuseum, stands as a testament to the historical relationship between humans and the natural world.