Artwork
A Beach with Fishermen Cutting Up a Whale and the Prophet Elijah

A Beach with Fishermen Cutting Up a Whale and the Prophet Elijah is an ink print by the Baroque artist Magdalena van de Passe. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:recto: in plate, below image: Et ait Helias Reuertere et aspice Septem vieibus, et factum est in Septima, et ecce nubes parua quasi vestigium viri ascendebat de mari / E Reg Cap. 18; in plate, at lower left: Adam Willeres Inuentor; in plate, at lower center: Magdalena van de pas fecit; in plate, at lower right: Crispin van de pas exud; verso: none
- Markings
- Marked:none
About this work
Overview
A Beach with Fishermen Cutting Up a Whale and the Prophet Elijah is an engraving on laid paper created by Magdalena van de Passe around 1624. The print is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts a beach scene with fishermen dismembering a whale, a ship, and smaller boats. A robed figure, identified as the Prophet Elijah, stands on the right, linking the scene to a biblical narrative.
Technique & Style
The black-and-white print is an example of engraving, a technique involving cutting a design into a metal plate to produce an image on paper. The level of detail achieved suggests a high level of skill in this labor-intensive process.


















