Portret van Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer

About this artwork

height 178 mm x width 125 mm

Art Historical Context

This delicate portrait on paper captures Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer, a celebrated Dutch heroine from the sixteenth century. Created between 1740 and 1774 by artist Pieter Anthony Wakkerdak, the small work (just 178 by125 millimeters) likely served as a commemorative, preserving her likeness for later generations. Though produced long after her lifetime, it reflects the enduring fascination with figures who embodied courage during the Dutch Revolt. Kenau Hasselaer became legendary for her leadership during the 1572–1573 Siege of Haarlem, where she reportedly commanded a company of women in defense of the city against Spanish forces. Her story, blending historical fact with patriotic myth, made her a symbol of female strength and civic pride in the Netherlands. Eighteenth-century depictions like this one helped keep such narratives alive during a period of renewed interest in national history. Wakkerdak’s choice of paper as a medium suggests an intimate or widely distributable format, possibly a drawing or print intended for books, albums, or private collections. The modest scale invites close viewing, encouraging visitors to reflect on how later artists reimagined earlier heroes to inspire contemporary audiences.

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...