Hollandsk grønlandsfarer 1652 - 1654

Reinier Nooms created this print of a Dutch Greenland farer, or whale hunter, during the height of the Dutch Golden Age. This was a period when the Netherlands dominated global trade and maritime exploration. Nooms himself was a seaman, so he knew the ins and outs of ships and ship life. Look at the detail in the rigging and the way the ship cuts through the waves. But the print also speaks to a more brutal side of Dutch expansion. Whaling was a major industry, providing oil for lighting and other products. The pursuit of whales led to the exploitation of Greenland and its resources, with profound impacts on the environment and indigenous populations. It is up to us to analyze and understand how the drive for economic power shaped not only the art of the time, but also its social and ecological landscape. Studying archives, ship logs, and economic data can further illuminate the complex forces at play in this seemingly simple image.