Pieter Blaauw, or Blauw, was born on the Dutch sea coast at Hoorn on 2 November 1744 and became a sailor in the Dutch Navy. This calling and the fact that he was skilled in carving decorative details for ships gave him great assurance in the depiction of a variety of Dutch craft. He was self-taught as an artist and his work derives from his great predecessor Ludolf Backhuysen (1631-1708). His date of death (at Medemblik) is sometimes given as 2 December 1808, but the actual year may be 1812. This is one of a group of ten finished drawings in light colour washes in the Museum's collection.

The kraak was an inland cargo vessel usually found in the west of Holland. The drawing is signed and dated 1799.