Copy after Pieter (I) Pietersz.: Portrait of Cornelis Jorisz. Roodhoorn and Grietge Willemsdr. Backer (17th century)

(Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Two painting made by an unknown 16th/ 17th century Dutch artist. These two paintings are copies of two paintings made by the Dutch artist Pieter (I) Pietersz. (1540-1603) which are now in a private collection. On the left is Cornelis Jorisz. Roodhoorn (1564-1599), a herring merchant who lived in the house "in den Rooden Hoorn" ('in the red horn') at Nieuwendijk 35 in Amsterdam, standing here with a magnificent rapier. Besides a merchant, Cornelis was also was a local politician and a member of the board-of-directors of the orphanage in Amsterdam. He married in 1588 with Grietge Willemsdr Backer (1571-1624), a member of the wealthy Backer family) and got at least three children - the most famous being Willem Cornelisz Backer (1595-1652) who became a powerful politician in Amsterdam and who involved in reconstruction of the New Church and the the new city hall of Amsterdam (now the palace at the Dam). All the children of Cornelis and Grietge carried the surname Backer of their mother instead of Roodhoorn (probably because the family of their mother was far more wealthy and powerful). Paintings from the 17th century (the originals are from 1589 and were made to celebrate the marriage of the couple).