Portret van Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 178 mm x breedte 125 mm

Art Historical Context

This portrait captures Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer, the legendary Dutch heroine celebrated for her leadership during the 1572–1573 siege of Haarlem. Though created centuries after the events, the image preserves her memory as a symbol of civic courage and female resilience in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. By the eighteenth century, such figures had become part of a growing national historical narrative. Executed on paper by the Dutch printmaker Pieter Anthony Wakkerdak between 1740 and 1774, the work measures just 178 by 125 millimeters. The presence of a distinct plate mark indica...

About the Artist

Pieter Anthony Wakkerdak · 1729–1774

Pieter Anthony Wakkerdak (1729–1774) was a Dutch printmaker, painter, draughtsman, publisher, and poet whose brief but productive career exemplified the versatility expected of 18th-century Dutch artists. Born on June 14, 1729, in Rotterdam and dying on November 28, 1774, in Delft at just forty-five years old, Wakkerdak worked across multiple media including mezzotint (black art), oil painting, en...