Hofje Van Willem Heythuijsen - Hals' Hofje Heren

Hals' Hofje Heren

Frans Hals painted him several times, and one of these portraits hung in this hofje for centuries. It was sold by the hofje regents in 1869 by public auction in Paris and was acquired the following year by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels. Recently, it was determined that this picture was actually a copy made circa 1650 by the artist himself of his original, which he had executed in the mid-1630s. This latter painting appeared at auction in 2008 and was sold for 9 million euros.

In 1636 Willem van Heythuijsen had his will and testament drawn up with the plans for this hofje in the event that he and his sister would die without issue. All of the information we have today about Willem van Heythuijsen is from this will and the acts drawn up by his executors Thieleman Rosterman and Marten van Sittart. One of these executors also had his portrait painted by Frans Hals. Willem van Heythuijsen became wealthy in the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. His parents were probably wealthy cloth merchants in Weert, which was at that time well known for its cloth.

• Painting of Willem van Heythuijsen by Frans Hals which was sold in 2008 for 9 million euros.

• Painting of Willem van Heythuijsen by Frans Hals which hangs in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich (München), Germany.

• Painting of Thieleman Rosterman (or Tieleman Roosterman) by Frans Hals which hangs in the Cleveland Museum of Art.