De Graeff - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

De Graeff is an old Dutch patrician family. The family have played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age

Dutch Golden Age

The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...

. They were at the centre of Amsterdam public life and oligarchy from 1578 until 1672. Since 1885 the family belonging to the new Dutch nobility with the title of jonkheer

Jonkheer

Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...

or jonkvrouw.

The De Graeff family during the Dutch Golden Age

During the Dutch Golden Age

Dutch Golden Age

, the De Graeff family was very critical of the influence of the House of Orange. the De Graeffs belonged to the republican

Republicanism

Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...

political movement, also referred to as the ‘state oriented’, as opposed to the Royalist

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 government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...

s. Together with the Republican political leaders, the Bicker family

Bicker family

Bicker is a very old Dutch patrician family . The family have played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They were at the centre of Amsterdam oligarchy from the begin of the 17th century until the early 1650s...

and Grand Pensionary

Grand Pensionary

The Grand Pensionary was the most important Dutch official during the time of the United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of Holland...

Johan de Witt

Johan de Witt, heer van Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp and IJsselveere was a key figure in Dutch politics in the mid 17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the United Provinces a leading European power during the Dutch Golden Age...

, the republican-minded brothers Cornelis

Cornelis de Graeff

Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van Polsbroek 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 the sudden death of stadholder William II of Orange...

and Andries de Graeff

Andries de Graeff

Free Imperial Knight Andries de Graeff was a very 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 older brother Cornelis de Graeff...

strived for the abolition of stadtholder

Stadtholder

A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...

ship. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in a form in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands

Dutch Republic

The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...

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 from the 1650 to the 1670s 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

First Stadtholderless Period

The First Stadtholderless Period or Era is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of a Stadtholder was absent in five of the seven Dutch provinces...

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.

In early 1671, Andries de Graeff was once again put forward as chief-mayor (regent) and managed to gain control with his Republican faction. During the winter of that year it seemed as if – at least in Amsterdam – the Republicans were winning. It was an exceptionally opportune moment to commission a monumental ceiling painting on Amsterdam’s independent position for the ‘Sael’ of his mayor’s residence. De Graeff had a clear message in mind for the ceiling painting: the ‘Ware Vrijheid’ of the Republic was only protected by the Republican regents of Amsterdam. The paintings by Gerard de Lairesse

Gerard de Lairesse

Gerard or Gérard de Lairesse was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art theorist.Lairesse was born in Liège. His broad range of talent included music, poetry, and the theatre. He was perhaps the most celebrated Dutch painter in the period following the death of Rembrandt...

glorify the de Graeff family’s role as the protector of the Republican state, defender of ‘Freedom’. The work of art can be viewed as a visual statement opposing the return of House of Orange as Stadtholders of the republic.

In Rampjaar

Rampjaar

The rampjaar was the year 1672 in Dutch history. In that year,the Republic of the Seven United Provinces was after the outbreak of the Franco-Dutch War and the Third Anglo-Dutch War attacked by England, France, and the prince-electors Bernhard von Galen, bishop of Münster and Maximilian Henry of...

1672, when the Organists took power again, the De Graeffs loose their position as one of the key States party families. In 1677, Andries de Graeff only son, Cornelis

Cornelis HrR Ridder de Graeff

Cornelis de Graeff, also Andriesz Cornelis de Graeff was a Dutch nobleman and chieflandholder of the Zijpe and Haze Polder....

, became knights of the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

. They said, that they descent from Wolfgang von Graben

Wolfgang von Graben

Wolfgang von Graben, also Wolfgang de Groben , was a member of the Austrian nobility.- Biography :...

, member of the austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n noble House of Graben von Stein

House of Graben von Stein

Von Graben von Stein, also named, Ab dem Graben, Von Graben and Vom Graben, is the name of an old Austrian noble family...

, which was an apparent (or illegitimate

Legitimacy (law)

At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...

) branch of the House of Meinhardin.

The family's role as patrons of the arts

A big accomplishment of the De Graeff were in the sponsorship of art and architecture. The De Graeffs were responsible for the majority of Amsterdam art during their reign in the Dutch Golden Age. Andries de Graeff

Andries de Graeff

, the first patron of the arts in the family, aided Rembrandt and, together with his brother Cornelis de Graeff

Cornelis de Graeff

, commissioned Govert Flinck

Govert Flinck

Govert Teuniszoon Flinck was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age.-Life:Born at Kleve, he was apprenticed by his father to a silk mercer, but having secretly acquired a passion for drawing, was sent to Leeuwarden, where he boarded in the house of Lambert Jacobszoon, a Mennonite, better known...

, Artus Quellinus

Artus Quellinus

Artus Quellinus also known as Artus Quellijn, Artus I Quellinus or Artus Quellinus the Elder , was a Flemish sculptor.-Life:...

and Jacob Jordaens

Jacob Jordaens

Jacob Jordaens was one of three Flemish Baroque painters, along with Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, to bring prestige to the Antwerp school of painting. Unlike those contemporaries he never traveled abroad to study Italian painting, and his career is marked by an indifference to their...

for the construction of the city hall on the Dam

Royal Palace (Amsterdam)

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. The palace was built as city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century. The building became the royal palace of king Louis Napoleon and later...

in 1655. Andries de Graeffs notable artistic associates were Rembrandt, Gerard ter Borch

Gerard ter Borch

Gerard ter Borch was a Dutch genre painter, who lived in the Dutch Golden Age.-Biography:Gerard ter Borch was born in December 1617 in Zwolle in the province of Overijssel in the Dutch Republic....

, Flinck, and Jan Lievens

Jan Lievens

Jan Lievens was a Dutch painter, usually associated with Rembrandt, working in a similar style.-Biography:According to Arnold Houbraken, Jan was the son of Lieven Hendriksze, a tapestry worker , and was trained by Joris Verschoten. He was sent to Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam at about the age of 10...

. Andries brother Cornelis continued in the family tradition of patronizing artists. He would chiefly commission works from Jacob van Ruysdael

Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruysdael

Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael was a Dutch landscape painter.-Life:A native of Haarlem, he appears to have studied under his father Isaak van Ruysdael, a landscape painter, though other authorities place him as the pupil of Berghem and of Allart van Everdingen...

, Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy

Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy

Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy was a Dutch painter of Flemish origin. Pickenoy was possibly a pupil of Cornelis van der Voort and presumably Bartholomeus van der Helst was his own pupil.-Life:...

, Quellinus, Flinck and Caspar Netscher

Caspar Netscher

Caspar Netscher 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:...

. They were well known to have been the patrons of the poets Joost van den Vondel

Joost van den Vondel

Joost van den Vondel was a Dutch 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 most frequently performed, and his epic Joannes de Boetgezant , on the life of John the Baptist, has...

, Jan Vos

Jan Vos (poet)

Jan Jansz. Vos was a Dutch playwright and poet. A glassmaker by trade , he also played an important role as stage-manager and director of the theatre...

, Caspar Barlaeus

Caspar Barlaeus

Caspar Barlaeus was a Dutch polymath and Renaissance humanist, a theologian, poet, and historian.-Life:...

und Gerard Brandt

Gerard Brandt

Gerard Brandt was a Dutch preacher, playwright, poet, church historian, biographer and naval historian...

.

In 1660 Andries and his brother Cornelis de Graeff organized the Dutch Gift

Dutch Gift

The Dutch Gift of 1660 was a collection of 28 mostly Italian Renaissance paintings and 12 classical sculptures, along with a yacht, the Mary, and furniture, which was presented to King Charles II of England by the States-General of the Netherlands in 1660...

. That Gift was a collection of 28 mostly Italian Renaissance paintings and 12 classical sculptures, which was presented to King Charles II of England by the States-General of the Netherlands in 1660. The collection was given to Charles II to mark his return to power in the English Restoration

English Restoration

The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...

. The De Graeffs thought that can intended to strengthen diplomatic relations between England and the Republic, but only a few years after the gift the two nations would be at war again in the Second Anglo-Dutch War

Second Anglo-Dutch War

The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....

of 1665–67.

Cornelis son Pieter de Graeff

Pieter de Graeff

Pieter de Graeff , was a member of the De Graeff-family from the Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam Regent 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...

for example was also a man who surrounded himself with art and beauty. He was an art collector and patron to the artists Ter Borch, Lievens, Karel Dujardin

Karel Dujardin

Karel Dujardin was a Dutch painter.-Biography:Karel Dujardin was a Dutch painter and etcher, born in Amsterdam in 1622. Although active as a portrait and history painter, he is best known for his Italianate landscapes. Typical of his landscape paintings is Farm Animals in the Shade of a Tree...

, Romeyn de Hooghe

Romeyn de Hooghe

Romeyn de Hooghe was an important and prolific late Dutch Baroque, painter, sculptor, engraver and caricaturist.-Biography:...

, Netscher and the poet Van den Vondel. Prof. C.W. Fock of the University of Leiden describes in her work - Het stempel van de bewoner - Pieter de Graeffs art-collection and lifestyle.

Family members

Pieter Graeff (* around 1484/85), the earliest known member of the De Graeff family
- Jan Pietersz Graeff (1512-1553), member of the vroedschap
  Vroedschap
  The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
  
  and advisor of Amsterdam, cloth merchant and dealer
  - Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
    Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
    Lenaert Jansz de Graeff , was a member of the family De Graeff and the son of Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant from Amsterdam...
    
    (1530/35 - before 1578), one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation at Amsterdam, friend of the "Grote Geus" Henry, Count of Bréderode
    Henry, Count of Bréderode
    Henry , Lord of Bréderode was born at Brussels. He was a member of the dutch noble family Van Brederode and an important member during the Eighty years war...
    
    ; Lenaert Jansz de Graeff could be ident with "Monseigneur de Graeff", a captain of the Sea Beggars during the Capture of Brielle.
  - Diederik Jansz. Graeff (1532–1589), mayor of Amsterdam, merchant; Graeff was also a friend of William the Silent
    William the Silent
    William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
    
    , Prince of Orange.
    - Jacob Dircksz de Graeff
      Jacob Dircksz de Graeff
      Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was one of the most illustrious members of the De Graeff family. He was a powerful member of the States Faction, regent and mayor of Amsterdam after the political collapse of Reinier Pauw in 1627.In the mid 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age, De Graeff controlled...
      
      (1570–1638), was a illustrious member of the De Graeff family; regent and mayor of Amsterdam, lord of the semisouverain fief Zuid-polsbroek, lord of the manor of Sloten, Osdorp and Amstelveen.
      - Cornelis de Graeff
        Cornelis de Graeff
        Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van Polsbroek 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 the sudden death of stadholder William II of Orange...
        
        (1599–1664), was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family; regent and mayor of Amsterdam, lord of the semi-sovereign fief Zuid-polsbroek, lord of the manor of Sloten and Amstelveen, President of the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC); illustrious Patron and Art collector.
        
        Pieter de Graeff
        Pieter de Graeff
        Pieter de Graeff , was a member of the De Graeff-family from the Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam Regent 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...
        
        (1638–1707), regent of Amsterdam, lord of the semi-sovereign fiefs of Zuid-polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam, President or Chairman of the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC), friend, advicor to his cousin Johan de Witt.
        
        Cornelis de Graeff II.
        Cornelis de Graeff II.
        Cornelis de Graeff was a member of the family De Graeff, a prominent regent family from the Dutch Golden Age....
        
        (1671–1719), lord of the semi-sovereign fief Purmerland and Ilpendam.
        
        Johan de Graeff
        Johan de Graeff
        Johan de Graeff - Lord of the semisouverain Fief Zuid-Polsbroek and Lord of the castle Ilpenstein - was a member of the De Graeff - family from the Dutch Golden Age.-Life:...
        
        (1673–1714), advisor of Amsterdam, lord of the semi-sovereign fief Zuid-polsbroek.
        
        Gerrit de Graeff (I.) van Zuid-Polsbroek (1711–1752), regent of Amsterdam, lord of the semi-sovereign fiefs of Zuid-polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam, one of the Chairmans of the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) and the Dutch West Indies Company (WIC).
        
        Gerrit de Graeff II. (1741–1811), regent of Amsterdam, lord of the (semi-sovereign) fiefs of Zuid-polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam.
        
        Gerrit de Graeff (III.) van Zuid-Polsbroek
        Gerrit de Graeff (III.) van Zuid-Polsbroek
        Gerrit de Graeff van Zuid-Polsbroek was a member of an influential regent family of Amsterdam, who have played an important role in the Dutch Golden Age.-Biographie:...
        
        (1766-1814), lord of the fiefs of Zuid-polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam.
        
        Gerrit de Graeff (IV.) van Zuid-Polsbroek (1797-1870), lord of the fiefs of Zuid-polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam, advisor of the city of Amsterdam.
        
        Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
        Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
        Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek was a successful Dutch diplomat in Japan. From July 1863, he held the post of Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. He played a major part in the many negotiations between various Western countries and Japan...
        
        (1833–1916), Diplomat, Generalconsul and Dutch minister in Japan. He was the most important representative of the Dutch government and played a major part in the many negotiations between Japan and various Western countries. De Graeff van Polsbroek was advisor to Emperor Meiji
        Emperor Meiji
        The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
        
        and laid the foundation stone for a modern western (European) diplomacy in Japan.
        
        Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff
        Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff
        Jonkheer Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff was a Governor General of Dutch East Indies and a Dutch minister for foreign affairs.-Family:...
        
        (1872–1958), Governor General of Dutch East Indies, Dutch minister for foreign affairs.
        
        Géorg de Graeff (1873–1954)
        
        Dirk Georg de Graeff (1905-1986), chamberlain of the dutch queens and managing director from the Algemene Bank Nederland
        
        Jacob de Graeff
        Jacob de Graeff
        Jacob de Graeff , 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...
        
        (1642–1690), advisor of Amsterdam, lord of the semi-sovereign fief Purmerland and Ilpendam.
      - Dirk de Graeff (1601–1637), advisor of Amsterdam
      - Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek
        Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek
        Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek , was a patrician woman from the Dutch Golden Age. She became famous as the mother-in-law of Johan de Witt....
        
        (1603-1656), mother in law of Johan de Witt
        Johan de Witt
        Johan de Witt, heer van Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp and IJsselveere was a key figure in Dutch politics in the mid 17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the United Provinces a leading European power during the Dutch Golden Age...
        
        .
      - Wendela de Graeff (1607-1652), painted by Rembrandt van Rijn at his masterpiece Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph
      - Andries de Graeff
        Andries de Graeff
        Free Imperial Knight Andries de Graeff was a very 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 older brother Cornelis de Graeff...
        
        (1611–1678), had together with his brother Cornelis the leading role in the Amsterdam and Holland administration; minister of finances, regent and mayor of Amsterdam, lord of the manor of Urk and Emmeloord; illustrious Patron and Art collector.
        
        Cornelis HrR Ridder de Graeff
        Cornelis HrR Ridder de Graeff
        Cornelis de Graeff, also Andriesz Cornelis de Graeff was a Dutch nobleman and chieflandholder of the Zijpe and Haze Polder....
        
        (1650–1678), free imperial knight of the Holy roman Empire, chieflandholder of the Zijpe and Haze Polder.
    - Pieter Dircksz Graeff (1573-1645), lord of Engelenburg, member of the vroedschap of Amsterdam, viseted the Holy Grave in Jerusalem.

other members:

Albert Claesz de Graeff (* around 1620), dutch Admiral (Schout-bij-nacht
Schout-bij-nacht
Schout-bij-nacht is a Dutch Naval rank, equivalent to Rear Admiral in the US Navy and Royal Navy. It is the second most junior Admiral position of the Dutch Navy, ranking above Commandeur and below a Vice-admiraal ....

)
Jan Jaap de Graeff (* 1957), dijkgraaf of Schieland, chamberlain of the dutch queen, director of the dutch unie for water

Literature

Graeff, P. De (P. de Graeff Gerritsz en Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek was a successful Dutch diplomat in Japan. From July 1863, he held the post of Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. He played a major part in the many negotiations between various Western countries and Japan...

) Genealogie van de familie De Graeff van Polsbroek Amsterdam 1882.
Bruijn, J. H. De Genealogie van het geslacht De Graeff van Polsbroek 1529/1827.
Rowen, Herbert H. (1986) John de Witt - Statesman of the „True Freedom“. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-52708-2
Zandvliet, Kees De 250 rijksten van de Gouden Eeuw - Kapitaal, macht, familie en levensstijl (2006 Amsterdam; Nieuw Amsterdam Uitgevers),
Israel, Jonathan I. (1995) The Dutch Republic - Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall - 1477-1806. Clarendon Press, Oxford, ISBN 978-0-19-820734-4
Burke, P. (1994) Venice and Amsterdam. A study of seventeenth-century élites.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

The De Graeff family during the Dutch Golden Age

The family's role as patrons of the arts

Family members

See also

Literature