Jacob de Wet II

Dornadilla,legendary king of Scotland,fourth in the king list of George Buchanan, 1684-6

Jacob Jacobsz de Wet II(1641,Haarlem– 1697,Amsterdam), also known asJames de Witt,was aDutch Golden Agepainter known for a series of 110 portraits of Scottish monarchs, many of themmythical,produced for thePalace of Holyroodhouse,Edinburghduring the reign ofCharles II.

Biography

According to theNetherlands Institute for Art History(RKD), he was one of five children of the painterJacob Willemszoon de Wet.His father taught him to paint and he was first recorded in his father's notebook at age 16 when his father wrote that he sold one of his son's paintings.In 1668 he moved to Amsterdam and married Helena Stalmans, with whom he had five children. In 1673 he secured the patronage ofSir William Bruce,King’s Surveyor and Master of Works in Scotland, and was brought toEdinburghto work onCharles II'srestoration of thePalace of Holyroodhouse.For two years, de Wet painted decorative historical, mythical and allegorical scenes for the newly rebuilt state apartments at Holyrood, whilst also decorating his patronBruce'shouse inBalcaskie,Fife.

Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots.The only woman in de Wet's Scottish monarchs series forHolyrood Palace.

In 1684 de Wet returned to work at Holyrood and signed a contract with Hugh Wallace, the Royal Cashkeeper, on 26 February which bound him to produce, for £120 per annum and within the period of two years, 110 portraits of Scottish monarchs from the legendaryKing Fergusto the reigningCharles II.The contract stated that:

The said James de Witte binds and obleidges him to compleately draw, finish, and perfyte The Pictures of the haill Kings who have Reigned over this Kingdome of Scotland, from King Fergus the first King, to KING CHARLES THE SECOND, OUR GRACIOUS SOVERAIGNE who now Reignes Inclusive, being all in number One hundred and ten

For the next two years, de Wet worked in his Canongate studio painting a portrait a week for the royal collection.An earlier series of Scottish royal portraits, painted byGeorge JamesoneforCharles I'sScottish coronation in 1633 and of which 26 currently survive, were sent to Holyrood and used by de Wet as a source for his own portraits. The inscriptions of names and accession dates followGeorge Buchanan'slist of Scottish kings, however the dates are considerably muddled, either by a later restorer or the artist himself.The completed set (a portrait ofJames VIIwas also added upon his accession) was hung in the Great Gallery ofHolyroodhouseand 97 are still on display today. Eleven of the portraits have disappeared, possibly destroyed byLieutenant General Henry Hawley’s Dragoons,who were stationed at Holyrood after their defeat byBonnie Prince CharlieatFalkirkin 1746.

Macbeth, King of Scotland,from de Wet's royal portrait series inHolyrood.

After completing his royal portrait series, and after a further two years in Scotland which included painting 34 scenes from the Life of Christ forPatrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorneon the ceiling of the Chapel ofGlamis Castle,de Wet again returned to Amsterdam.He is known for religious works done in his father's workshop for the Catholic community of Haarlem, portraits of wealthy Catholics of Amsterdam such as Jan Six, as well as hunting still lifes and landscapes with figures.He died in Amsterdam and was buried there in theNieuwe Kerkon 16 November 1697. His widow Helena dying in Haarlem on 27 October 1707.

External links

Media related toPaintings by Jacob de Wet (II)at Wikimedia Commons

References

• Jacob de Wet IIonArtnet