Pieter de Graeff (15 August 1638 – 3 June 1707), was a member of the
De Graeff
De Graeff (; also: '' De Graef, Graef, Graeff, Graaff'', Graaf and ''De Graeff van Polsbroek'') is an old Dutch patrician and noble family,
The Amsterdam line of the family played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They were at the ...
-family from the
Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam
Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
during the late 1660s and the early 1670s, and held the titles as
Lord of the semi-sovereign Fief Zuid-Polsbroek and
19.th Lord of the Free and high Fief Ilpendam and Purmerland. De Graeff was a member of a family of regents who belonged to the
republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
political movement also referred to as the ‘state oriented’, as opposed to the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...
s.
Biography
Family De Graeff
De Graeff was born in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
as son of the Amsterdam regent
Cornelis de Graeff
Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van (Zuid-)Polsbroek (15 October 1599 – 4 May 1664) was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family. He was a mayor of Amsterdam from the Dutch Golden Age and a powerful Amsterdam regent after ...
and
Catharina Hooft
Catharina Pietersdr Hooft (28 December 1618 – 30 September 1691) was a woman of the Dutch Golden Age. She became famous at a very early age, when she was painted by Frans Hals.
At the age of sixteen she married Cornelis de Graeff, nin ...
, and older brother of
Jacob de Graeff
Jacob de Graeff (28 June 1642 in Amsterdam – 21 April 1690) was a member of the De Graeff-family from the Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam Regent and held the titles as 20.th Lord of the Free and high Fief Ilpendam and Purmerland. Jacob ...
.
[Pieter de Graeffs Biography at ''digitale bibliothek voor de nederlandse letteren'', part II (dutch)](_blank)
/ref>
Both, Pieters father Cornelis and his uncle Andries de Graeff
Andries de Graeff (19 February 1611 – 30 November 1678) was a powerful member of the Amsterdam branch of the De Graeff - family during the Dutch Golden Age. He became a mayor of Amsterdam and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the death of his ...
, were very critical of the Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
family's influence. Together with the Republican political leader Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt (; 24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672), ''lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp en IJsselvere'', was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, the ...
, the De Graeff-family strived for the abolition of stadtholdership. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in a form in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands was not ruled by a single person. Instead of a sovereign (or stadtholder) the political and military power was lodged with the States General and with the regents of the cities in Holland.
During the two decades the De Graeff family had a leading role in the Amsterdam administration, the city was at the peak of its political power. This period was also referred to by Republicans as the ‘Ware Vrijheid’ (True Freedom). It was the First Stadtholderless Period
The First Stadtholderless Period or Era (1650–72; nl, Eerste Stadhouderloze Tijdperk) is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of Stadtholder was vacant in five of the seven Dutch provinces (the provinces of Fries ...
which lasted from 1650 to 1672. During these twenty years, the regents from Holland and in particular those of Amsterdam, controlled the republic. The city was flush with self-confidence and liked to compare itself to the famous Republic of Rome. Even without a stadtholder, things seemed to be going well for the Republic and its regents both politically and economically.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Pieter de Graeff is quartered with a heart shield and since 1678 it shows the following symbols:
* heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red (originally from the family Van Woerdern van Vliet
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
) of the High Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek
* field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
Herren von Graben, also named ''von (dem) Graben'', ''vom Graben'', ''Grabner'', ''Grabner zu Rosenburg'', ''Graben zu Kornberg'', ''Graben zu Sommeregg'', ''Graben von (zum) Stein'', and ''ab dem Graben'' was the name of an old Austrian noble fam ...
* field 2 (right above) shows the silver swan on blue of the Fief Vredenhof r_that_one_(Waterland)_of_their_maternal_ancestors,_the_De_Grebber.html" ;"title="Waterland.html" ;"title="r that one (Waterland">r that one (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber">Waterland.html" ;"title="r that one (Waterland">r that one (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber]
* field 3 (left below) shows the silver goose in blue of Purmerland (Lordship of Purmerend, Purmerland and Ilpendam, High Lordship Purmerland and Ilpendam)
* field 4 (right below) shows the red and black lions on gold (the arms of the County of Holland
The County of Holland was a State of the Holy Roman Empire and from 1433 part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading province of the Dutch Republic, of which it remained a par ...
) for Ilpendam
Ilpendam is a village in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is a part of the municipality of Waterland, and lies about 4 km south of Purmerend. It covers an area of 2.46 km2 (0.95 sq mi) and had 1,780 inhabitants in 2008. Ilp ...
(High Lordship Purmerland and Ilpendam) above a blue area
* shield holders are two silver swans
* helmet covers in red and silver
* helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)
* motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL)
Early years, marriage and offspring
In 1655, De Graeff went together with Joan Huydecoper I and his eldest son Joan Joan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters
*:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine
* Joan (surname)
Weather events
*Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...
on a diplomatic mission to the Prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century onwards, the prin ...
Frederick William of Brandenburg
Frederick William (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 – 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is ...
, to look for support against the war with Sweden.
During the summers the family spent a lot of their time at the Palace Soestdijk, and the brothers De Graeff played with the young William III of Orange
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from ...
– who later became King of England, Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
and Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
– at the lake and woods at Soestdijk.
After De Graeff did a Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...
through France and England, he married his niece Jacoba Bicker, sister of Wendela Bicker, who married Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt (; 24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672), ''lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp en IJsselvere'', was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, the ...
. The protagonists of the patriciate were closely related, and the couple Pieter and Jacoba were also cousins of the brothers Johan and Cornelis de Witt
Cornelis de Witt (; 15 June 1623 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch politician and naval commendant of the Golden Age. During the First Stadtholderless Period De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposition to th ...
. Joost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch poet, writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still mos ...
wrote a poem to Pieter and Jacoba's marriage at De Graeff's castle Ilpenstein
Ilpenstein Castle (dutch: ''Ilpenstein'', ''Huis te Ilpendam'', ''Hof te Ilpendam'') was a castle of the Free and high Lordship of Purmerend, Purmerland and Ilpendam, located in Ilpendam (Waterland) in the north of the city of Amsterdam.
History ...
.
The couple had three children:
* Cornelis de Graeff
Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van (Zuid-)Polsbroek (15 October 1599 – 4 May 1664) was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family. He was a mayor of Amsterdam from the Dutch Golden Age and a powerful Amsterdam regent after ...
(1671–1719), Lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam, canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
in the cathedral chapter of St. Pieter in Utrecht
* Johan de Graeff (1673–1714), Lord of Zuid-Polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam, Amsterdam regent
* Agneta de Graeff, married Jan Baptiste de Hochepied; she owned the cityhouse "Korte Vijverberg 3" in The Hague, the current cabinet of the King
Career
In 1662, De Graeff became a member of the vroedschap
The vroedschap () was the name for the (all male) city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a ''vroedman'', literally a "wise man". An honorific title of the ''vroedschap'' was the ''vroede vaderen' ...
of the City of Amsterdam. In 1664, after the death of his father Cornelis, he became a chief administrator
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...
of the VOC
VOC, VoC or voc may refer to:
Science and technology
* Open-circuit voltage (VOC), the voltage between two terminals when there is no external load connected
* Variant of concern, a category used during the assessment of a new variant of a virus
...
. During the 1660s De Graeff became one of the guardians
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Uni ...
from William III of Orange.
De Graeff was also an advisor and a close friend to Johan De Witt, and after De Witts death in the rampjaar 1672 he became the guardian over his five children, including Johan de Witt Jr. After the death of the brothers De Witt and the raise of the House of Orange
The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...
and Gillis Valckenier, Pieter, his uncle Andries de Graeff
Andries de Graeff (19 February 1611 – 30 November 1678) was a powerful member of the Amsterdam branch of the De Graeff - family during the Dutch Golden Age. He became a mayor of Amsterdam and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the death of his ...
and his nephew Lambert Reynst
Lambert Reynst (1613–1679) was a Dutch regent and politician of the Golden Age. Born in Amsterdam, he belonged to the "republican" Dutch States Party.
Family
He came from the patrician Reynst family and was the son of Hendrick Reynst and his wi ...
lost their political positions.
De Graeff remained only the function of a chief bewindhebber of the VOC, which he held until his. Between the years 1671 and 1678 Pieter, who increasingly emerged as one of the leaders of the VOC, worked closely with Joan Maetsuycker
Joan Maetsuycker (14 October 1606 – 24 January 1678) was the Governor of Zeylan during the Dutch period in Ceylon and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1653 to 1678. He was appointed as Governor of Zeylan on 24 March 1646 and was ...
, the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies.
In 1674, he had active cash assets of 130,000 guilders
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Emp ...
, making him one of the 250 richest people of the Dutch Golden Age.
Art and lifestyle
Like his father Cornelis, Pieter was also a man who surrounded himself with art and beauty. He was an art collector and patron to the artists Gerard Ter Borch
Gerard ter Borch (; December 1617 – 8 December 1681), also known as Gerard Terburg (), was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu, Gerrit Dou, Eglon van der Neer and Johann ...
, Jan Lievens
Jan Lievens (24 October 1607 – 4 June 1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who was associated with his close contemporary Rembrandt, a year older, in the early parts of their careers. They shared a birthplace in Leiden, training with Pieter La ...
, Karel Dujardin
Karel Dujardin (September 27, 1626November 20, 1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Although he did a few portraits and a few history paintings of religious subjects, most of his work is small Italianate landscape scenes with animals and peasan ...
, Caspar Netscher
Caspar (or Gaspar) Netscher (1639 – January 15, 1684) was a Dutch portrait and genre painter. He was a master in depicting oriental rugs, silk and brocade and introduced an international style to the Northern Netherlands.
Life
According to Ar ...
and the poet Joost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch poet, writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still mos ...
. C. W. Fock of the University of Leiden
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of Le ...
describes in her work – ''Het stempel van de bewoner'' – Pieter de Graeffs art-collection and lifestyle. He stand also in close correspondence to Johan de Witt, Jacob Boreel
Jacob Boreel (1 April 1630, in Amsterdam – 21 August 1697, in Velsen) was an ambassador in France, sheriff and burgomaster of Amsterdam in 1696. Between 1664 and 1665 he travelled through Russia with his friend Nicolaes Witsen. In 1679, he bec ...
, Van den Vondel, the painter Jan Lievens
Jan Lievens (24 October 1607 – 4 June 1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who was associated with his close contemporary Rembrandt, a year older, in the early parts of their careers. They shared a birthplace in Leiden, training with Pieter La ...
and the mathematician
A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems.
Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change.
History
On ...
, astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
and physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
Christiaan Huygens.
From Pieter de Graeff diaries have been preserved. He made several notes on negotiations and payments from his possessions. He encountered some problems with the famous graphical artist Romeyn de Hooghe
Romeyn de Hooghe (bapt. 10 September 1645 – 10 June 1708) was a late Dutch Baroque painter, sculptor, engraver and caricaturist.
Biography
He was born in Amsterdam, and was a skilled etcher, draughtsman, painter, sculptor and medalis ...
, who was going to draw an artistic map of De Graeffs estate ''Valkenburg''. Besides he had some maps coloured by the artist David Reerigh, who also coloured several maps of the ''Hoogheemraadschap of Rijnland'' of 1687.
De Graeff also filled forty almanacs
An almanac (also spelled ''almanack'' and ''almanach'') is an annual publication listing a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and other ...
, or some 1600 pages, between 1664 and 1706.
De Graeff died on 3 June 1707; his tomb chapel is to be found in the Oude Kerk at Amsterdam.
Noble titles
Notes
Literature
* Zandvliet, Kees (2006) ''De 250 rijksten van de Gouden Eeuw: kapitaal, macht, familie en levensstijl'' blz. 93 t/m 94, uitg. Nieuw Amsterdam, Amsterdam,
* Burke, P. (1994) ''Venice and Amsterdam. A study of seventeenth-century élites.''
* Graeff, P. De (P. de Graeff Gerritsz en Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
Jhr. Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek (born ''Dirk de Graeff''; named also ''Van Polsbroek'' or ''Polsbroek'') (Amsterdam, 28 August 1833 – 27 June 1916, The Hague) was a Dutch aristocrat, merchant and diplomat. Between 1863 and 1868 he was Dutch C ...
) ''Genealogie van de familie De Graeff van Polsbroek'' Amsterdam 1882, Antiquariaat A.G. van der Steur
* Bruijn, J. H. ''De Genealogie van het geslacht De Graeff van Polsbroek 1529/1827'' Antiquariaat A.G. van der Steur
* Moelker, H.P. ''De heerlijkheid Purmerland en Ilpendam'' (1978 Purmerend)
External links
Biographie Pieter de Graeff – Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 2
Biographie Pieter de Graeff – Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 7
Pieter de Graeff by Caspar Netscher, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graeff, Pieter De
1638 births
1707 deaths
Dutch nobility
17th-century Dutch politicians
Pieter, de Graeff
Aldermen of Amsterdam
Lords of Zuid-Polsbroek
Lords of Purmerland and Ilpendam
Administrators of the Dutch East India Company
Burials at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam