Life
He was the oldest son of Pieter de Graeff and Jacoba Bicker, his elder brother was Cornelis de Graeff II., Baron of Purmerland and Ilpendam, and De Graeffs younger sister Agneta de Graeff, who married to Jan Baptiste de Hochepied, lives in a City-Palace today called Kabinet der Koningin.
After his studies at the University of Leiden in the year 1699, he became an advisor and from 1709 to 1714 a member of the vroedschap of the City of Amsterdam.
De Graeff residence at the Herengracht in a house now called Tassenmuseum Hendrikje, at castle Ilpenstein and at Bronstee, a Countryhouse near Heemstede.
In the year 1709 Johan married Johanna Hooft, they had five children:
- Jacoba Adriana de Graeff (1710–1745), married to Mr. Jacob Jan de Blocq van Kuffeler
- Gerrit de Graeff I (1711–1752), married to Maria Elisabeth Sautijn and later with Elisabeth Lestevenon; Gerrit succeeded his as Lord of Zuid-Polsbroek.
- Alida Joanna de Graeff (1713–1757), married with Mr. François de Witt.
Johan de Graeff has a big art collection including paintings from Rembrandt van Rijn, Gerard Ter Borch and Jacob van Ruisdael. The collection know three very famous pictures, Catharina Hooft with her Nurse, painted by Frans Hals, Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph and Portrait of Andries de Graeff, both from Rembrandt.
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Famous quotes containing the word life:
“Why should not our whole life and its scenery be actually thus fair and distinct? All our lives want a suitable background. They should at least, like the life of the anchorite, be as impressive to behold as objects in a desert, a broken shaft or crumbling mound against a limitless horizon.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Betty Friedan (20th century)
“Death is an endless night so awful to contemplate that it can make us love life and value it with such passion that it may be the ultimate cause of all joy and all art.”
—Paul Theroux (b. 1941)