Portrait of Jacob Cats
Painter: Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne
Year:
Medium: pen and brown ink, with grey and black wash, with opaque watercolour; framing line in black ink and gold
Description: Portrait of Jacob Cats (1577-1660), seated at a table, pointing to a book lying in front of him. On the back left, on a windowsill, an hourglass. Through the window on the left is the Munnikenhof near Grijpskerke, Cats' country home in the years 1603-1623. Presumably this is the earliest known portrait of the poet statesman. That the drawing was certainly intended to be brought into print can be deduced from the fact that Cats' family coat of arms, bottom right, is shown mirrored. Design for a print.
