Artwork
Kornelis de Wit
Kornelis de Wit is a drawing by Aert Schouman. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Catholic University of Leuven. The drawing commemorates the Dutch naval triumph at the Battle of Chatham in 1667.
About this work
You can learn more about this style by looking at the technique of cross-hatching.
This drawing shows a man honored by angels. He's in front of a big bowl of food. It's a celebration of a naval victory in 1667.
The man is Kornelis de Wit. He was a leader in the Netherlands. This drawing was made to remember his win.
It was drawn by someone else, not Kornelis de Wit. The drawing is now in a museum. You can learn more about this style by looking at the technique of cross-hatching.
Overview
The drawing commemorates the Dutch naval triumph at the Battle of Chatham in 1667. It portrays Kornelis de Wit, a municipal leader, flanked by cherubic figures and a cornucopia, with a distant view of the English harbour in the background. The work functions as a celebratory record of the victory and de Wit’s role in it.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre stands de Wit, elevated by two putti who gesture toward a horn of plenty, symbolising abundance and triumph. The distant landscape shows the port of Chatham, linking the allegorical celebration to the specific military success that the drawing memorialises.
Technique & Style
Executed in fine pen and ink, the composition relies on cross‑hatching to render volume and texture, a common practice in 18th‑century Dutch draughtsmanship. The delicate line work delineates the figures, the cornucopia, and the architectural details of the harbour scene.
History & Provenance
The image was originally a preparatory drawing for a larger painting intended for the Town Hall of Dordrecht. It bears the inscription “S. Fokke fec.” indicating the hand of the draughtsman, while the attribution “A. Schouman del. after ’t Origineele Model” records that the drawing follows an earlier model. The work now resides in a museum collection.
Context
The Battle of Chatham marked a decisive Dutch victory during the Second Anglo‑Dutch War, and municipal authorities in Dordrecht commissioned artworks to celebrate local contributions. Kornelis de Wit, as a leading official, was highlighted as a figure of civic pride in the visual narrative.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Aert Schouman or Aart Schouman (4 March 1710 – 5 July 1792) was an 18th-century painter, now better known as a glass engraver, from the Dutch Republic.
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