Dirck Coornhert

Who was Dirck Coornhert?

Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert (1522 – 29 October 1590), also known as Theodore Cornhert, was a Dutch writer, philosopher, translator, politician, theologian, and artist. Coornhert is often considered the Father of Dutch Renaissance scholarship. Coornhert was the youngest son of Volckert Coornhert, an Amsterdam cloth merchant. Returning home, he was disinherited by his father's will in 1539, for his marriage with Cornelia (Neeltje) Simons, a portionless gentlewoman from Haarlem, whose sister was Anna Simonsdr, the mistress of Reginald (Reinoud), count of Brederode (they were the parents of Lucretia van Brederode). Through his sister-in-law, he became major-domo to Reginald at his castle in Vianen for a short time. Though he started off working for Reginald, he lived near the school where the St. Jan commanderij taught classic works and commissioned art. As a child, he spent some years in Spain and Portugal.

Soon after that, in 1541, he bought a house in his wife's hometown of Haarlem on the St. Janssteeg from Anna and her husband Jan. Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert, also known as Theodore Cornhert, was a Dutch writer, philosopher, translator, politician, theologian, and artist.

Historical significance

He was only seventeen and she was twelve years older.