Jaspar Beckx: Portraits of Don Miguel de Castro, Diego Bemba and Pedro Sunda (1643)

(Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark)

Three paintings made by the Dutch artist Jaspar Beckx (..-1647). Don Miguel de Castro (center) was a cousin of the count of Sonho (today Soyo in Angola). He was send as an Emissary of the kingdom of Kongo to the Dutch republic for mediation in a conflict the count had with King Garcia II of Kongo. The Dutch West India Company had recently conquered Loango-Angola in 1641 from the Portuguese, and they had heavily relied on the assistance of the Count of Sonho. Don Miguel de Castro traveled with a few servants to the Netherlands were they were received by the stadtholder prince Frederick Henry of Orange. During his stay in the Netherlands several paintings of Don Miguel and his servants were ordered, including a 'portrait in Portuguese clothes'. Don Miguel de Castro took one of his portraits back to Africa. These three show two servants of Don Miguel de Castro: Diego Bemba (left) and Pedro Sunda (right). Paintings from 1643.