Gestrande walvis bij Berckhey, 1598 1600 - 1649

This engraving from 1598, made by an anonymous artist, depicts a beached whale near Berckhey. The sheer scale of the whale dominates the scene, contrasting with the diminutive figures of the onlookers. This leviathan is no mere animal; it's a potent symbol. Whales have long surfaced in the human psyche, representing the untamed forces of nature and the sublime terror they inspire. Think of Jonah in the whale, a biblical motif of engulfment and rebirth, or the sea monsters of ancient maps, marking the edges of the known world. The whale’s stranding thus becomes an omen, a disruption of the natural order, echoing through collective memory. The figures swarming the carcass, dissecting and claiming parts, reflect humanity’s ambivalent relationship with nature—awed and fearful, yet driven to dissect and control. This scene evokes a deep, subconscious recognition of nature's power, forever oscillating between reverence and exploitation.