Single portrait of Dirk van Beesd van Heemskerk

General information
Original location Delft, Charterhouse Bartholomeusdal, in the chapel of the Delft Confraternity of Jerusalem pilgrims. The original after which this copy was made, may have been part of a series of separate pilgrim's portraits of the confraternity.
Current location Copy in Johan van Beesd van Heemskerk, Geslacht-Register van die van Eemskerck bigenaemt van Beest met haere Maegen Bloet-verwanten ende Aengehouwede Gemaeckt, bieengestelt [...] door Johan van Beest van Eemskerck Dircx zoon inden Iaere M. VI C.XXVI (Den Haag, Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, GHS 0233); Original lost
Provenance The text under the copy mentions that the original was in 1724 still in the possession of Maria Dirckdr. van Heemskerck.
Artist Anonymous (original)
Johan van Beesd van Heemskerk (copy)
Date First half of the 16th century (original)
1626 (copy)
Material Water colour on paper (copy)
Dimensions 32 x 20,5 cm (copy)
Visual elements
Short description Portrayed half-length, facing left, his hands folded in prayer, against a grey background. Under his portrait is a text area and on both sides of his head are coats of arms hanging from nails in the wall.
Depicted pilgrim
Personal information
Name Dirk Dirksz. van Beesd van Heemskerk
Social status / profession Town counselor of Delft (1506-1508, 1510); burgomaster of Delft (1509, 1511-1512, 1514-1516, 1520); head burgomaster of Delft (1522, 1525-1532); treasurer of Delft (1515, 1519, 1533) (mentioned in the text under the painting)
Coat of arms Top left: High gothic shield - In blue a red langued and nailed silver lion (van Beesd van Heemskerk)
Top right: High gothic shield - In silver a red Catharine wheel with a sword in bend over it
Text Under the portrait: Anno xiiiic.sesentachtich was Dirric Dirric zone van Beest te Jherusalem en opten berrich van Sijnaij en starf anno xvc.xlv, den xien dach novembris, en leijt begraven tot Chartuse buijten Delft. Bidt voer die zijel.
Other known portraits Virgin and Child with St Anne ('Anna Selbdritt') with devotional portraits of the Van Beesd Van Heemskerck-Van Diemen family (Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum), fifth person from the left on left panel
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1486
Attributes Jerusalem pilgrimage Palm
Other pilgrimages Sinai, monastery of St. Catherine
Attributes other pilgrimages See coat of arms
Death
Date of death 11 November 1545
Location of grave Delft, Charterhouse Bartholomeusdal
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Dirk was mentioned as a fellow traveler by Georges Lengherand of Mons in his travel report of 1486 (see Lampen, p. 285).
Additional information
Literature
  • Catalogus der genealogisch-heraldische tentoonstelling in het raadsgebouw der gemeente 's-Gravenhage (The Hague 1933), p. 31
  • Bueren, Truus van, Leven na de dood: gedenken in de late Middeleeuwen (Turnhout 1999), p. 230
  • Lampen, Willibrord, 'Hollandsche Jerusalemvaarders in vroegere eeuwen', Bijdragen voor de geschiedenis van het Bisdom van Haarlem 45 (1928), pp. 265-293
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