Gestrande walvis bij Beverwijk, 1601

The engraving depicts the spectacle of a stranded whale being examined by a diverse crowd of Dutch citizens, some of whom are climbing the animal while others sketch it. An elaborate architectural frame at the top features Father Time with an hourglass and scythe, along with representations of a solar eclipse and an earthquake that occurred around the same time. The scene combines detailed naturalistic observation with allegorical warnings of impending doom through celestial and terrestrial signs.

In the early modern period, beached whales were viewed as 'prodigia' or divine portents of disaster, war, or plague. This work links natural history with the 'Book of Nature' tradition, where extraordinary natural events were read as theological messages, a concept central to the natural philosophy of the era.