According to a manuscript in the Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, Amsterdam (Lijste van de Groenlandse Visserij Beginnende A^o 1700), two whalers named 'De Vrijheyt' were known in the early 18th century: the first, owned by François van den Boogaart in Amsterdam, sailed the Artic in 1718 under command of captain Adriaan Willemsz. Vader. No further records of other journeys of this ship to the region in later years seem to exist. The cargo consisted of 2 whales and 100 barrels of blubber. The second ship was owned by Jacob Beyerman from Rotterdam and sailed to the Artic in 1719 under the command of Adam de Jong. Beyerman must have been an important ship-owner as he sent no less than four whalers to the Artic that year. The cargo consisted of 5 whales and 210 barrels of blubber. This ship continued its journeys to the Artic untill 1721 and again in 1728 and 1729. (see also G. van Sante, Alphabetische Naam-lijst van alle de Groenlandsche en Straat-Davissche Commandeurs, 1770, p. 7)

The whaler 'De Vrijheyt' depicted in the present lot must surely have been one of the two ships described above

In a contemporary ebonized wooden frame

See illustration