Portrait of Willem Usselinx, Merchant and Founder of the Dutch West Indies Company — Anonymous

Anonymous. Painted 1637.

Willem Usselincx. Anonymous, 1637. After the Sack of Antwerp by Spanish troops, the merchant Willem Usselincx (1567-1647) settled in Middelburg. He fervently supported the foundation of a West India Company as an instrument in the war against Spain. But as a truce with the Spaniards drew nearer, his plans were rejected. Yet the declared objectives of the West India Company that was established directly after the Twelve Year Truce ended in 1621, were not what Usselincx had wanted: there was not enough emphasis on founding colonies and sending missionaries. Nevertheless, Usselincx is generally seen as the spiritual father of the WIC, as this portrait proclaims: 'Author of the West India Company'.

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

panel, oil paint (paint) · Original size: 13.7 × 16.9 cm

Print: 21 × 25.9 cm, printed on Hahnemühle FineArt archival cotton paper. Museum-grade reproduction quality, true to the colours and detail of the original work.

Frame (optional): a custom-made wooden frame in a matte black finish, cut to the exact dimensions of this print, with an off-white passe-partout mat and protective glazing. Ready to hang.

Source: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20027401. Image released under CC0 by the Rijksmuseum.