Artwork

Allegory of Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672) as Instigator of the Victory at Chatham in 1667

Allegory of Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672) as Instigator of the Victory at Chatham in 1667 is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan de Baen. It dates from 1669 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.

About this work

Overview

Jan de Baen’s 1669 oil painting presents an allegorical portrait of Cornelis de Witt, linking the statesman to the Dutch triumph at the Battle of Chatham in 1667. Rendered in the late‑Golden Age style, the work combines portraiture with symbolic figures to celebrate a national victory.

Subject & Meaning

At the centre sits Cornelis de Witt, attired in black and poised with a sword, his expression solemn. Around him float cherubic figures and a winged woman blowing a trumpet, elements that signify divine favor and martial success, casting de Witt as the catalyst of the naval defeat of the English fleet.

Technique & Style

De Baen employs strong chiaroscuro, contrasting the illuminated central figure with a darkened foreground and a sky tinged with sunset clouds. The dramatic lighting enhances depth, while the fluid rendering of the flying cherubs and the airborne trumpeter reflects the artist’s skill in integrating narrative allegory within a portrait framework.

History & Provenance

Trained under Jacob Adriaensz Backer in Amsterdam, de Baen worked for the exiled Charles II before establishing his career in The Hague from 1660 onward. The painting was completed two years after the 1667 victory and remained in Dutch collections, reflecting contemporary efforts to commemorate political heroes through allegorical art.

Context

The work belongs to a tradition of Dutch Golden Age allegories that celebrated civic achievements by merging portraiture with classical motifs. By portraying de Witt alongside mythic symbols, the painting aligns personal virtue with the collective triumph of the Dutch Republic during the Second Anglo‑Dutch War.