Cornelis de Graeff II
Cornelis de Graeff was a member of the family De Graeff, a prominent regent family from the Dutch Golden Age. He held the title 20th Free Lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam.
Biography
His parents were Pieter de Graeff and his cousin Jacoba Bicker, his younger brother was Johan de Graeff, the Free Lord of Zuid-Polsbroek. His uncle was Johan de Witt, Statesman of the True Freedom, husband of Wendela Bicker, sister of Cornelis' mother Jacoba.Cornelis de Graeff was a Canon of St. Pieter at Utrecht. Most of the time he resided at his castle Ilpenstein. He also owned Bronstee, a country estate near Heemstede. De Graeff was mentally disturbed and remained unmarried. Since his father's death in 1707 he was under the tutelage of Jacobus de Fremeri, and died at his castle Ilpenstein on February 16, 1719. His successor as Free Lord of Purmerland and Ilpendam was his cousin Gerrit de Graeff. Cornelis' burial chapel is in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, in the Sint Cornelis choir, the family grave of the De Graeff family.
At Ilpenstein castle De Graeff had a famous art collection, including Rembrandts Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph and the Portrait of Andries de Graeff. The two famous paintings, both by Rembrandt, can be seen today at Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel. De Graeff also owned Frans Halsens painting Catharina Hooft with her Nurse. In 1710 a copy of Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' was assigned to him. Around 1712, De Graeff's curator De Fremery sold the piece to Pieter van der Lip. Rembrandt expert Abraham Bredius suspected that a second copy of 'The Night Watch', painted by Gerrit Lundens, had gone to Cornelis de Graeff; which turned out to be correct. A painting after Lundens was also present at Pieter de Graeff, after the well-known drawing in the album by De Graeffs uncle Frans Banninck Cocq. This album has been owned by the De Graeff family since 1678.
Coat of arms
The personal coat of arms of Cornelis de Graeff is quarterd with a heart shield and shows the following symbols:- heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red of the High Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek
- field 1 shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
- field 2 shows the silver swan on blue of the Fief Vredenhof or that one of their maternal ancestors, the [De Grebber family
- field 3 shows the silver goose in blue of Purmerland
- field 4 shows the red and black lions on gold for Ilpendam above a blue area
- shield holders are two silver swans
- helmet covers in red and silver
- helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers
- motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT
Literature
- Graeff, P. de Genealogie van de familie De Graeff van Polsbroek, Amsterdam 1882.
- Bruijn, J. H. de Genealogie van het geslacht De Graeff van Polsbroek 1529/1827, met bijlagen. De Built 1962-63.
- Elias, J.E., De Vroedschap van Amsterdam 1578-1795, page 423
- Moelker, H.P., De heerlijkheid Purmerland en Ilpendam, page 178