Willem Kettingh (overl. 1670). Thesaurier- en Rentmeester-Generaal van de Prins van Oranje

About this artwork

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Art Historical Context

This striking portrait by Mattheus Verheyden a skilled 18th-century Dutch painter, depicts Willem Kettingh (d. 1670), who served as Thesaurier- en Rentmeester-Generaal Treasurer and Paymaster-General—for the Prince of Orange. Created around 1755, over eight decades after Kettingh's death, the painting is a posthumous tribute, likely commissioned to honor his pivotal role in managing the finances of the powerful House of Orange during the Dutch Golden Age. At 208 cm tall, its grand scale underscores the subject's stature in the Republic's elite administrative circles, where loyalty to the stadt...

About the Artist

Mattheus Verheyden · 1700–1780

Mattheus Verheyden (1700-1777) was a prominent Dutch portrait painter of the eighteenth century whose refined technique and aristocratic clientele established him as one of the leading portraitists of the Dutch Republic. Born in Breda as the son of painter Frank Pietersz Verheyden, Mattheus was orphaned at age eleven but received superior artistic training thanks to his late mother's fortune. Afte...