Nicolaas Rockox
Nicolaas Rockox knight | |
---|---|
Mayor of Antwerp | |
Monarch | Philip II of Spain |
Personal details | |
Born | 14 December 1560 Antwerp |
Died | 12 December 1640 Antwerp | (aged 79)
Spouse | Adriana Perez (1568–1619) |
Nicolaas Rockox (1560–1640), was an art patron and collector,
Early life
Nicolaas Rockox was born in de Keizerstraat in Antwerp as the oldest son of Adriaan II and Isabella van Olmen. His parents were both scions of prominent families. Rockox was a nephew of
Career
Upon his return to Antwerp he became a member of the local schutterij, the civic guard of Antwerp which was tasked with maintaining the peace in the city as well as defending it from external attack. At the time, Antwerp had a Calvinist administration under the leadership of the mayor Philips of Marnix, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde and was in open revolt against the Catholic Spanish rulers of the Habsburg Netherlands. When the city was besieged by troops under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Antwerp in 1584, Rockox assisted in the city's defence.[2]
After the fall of Antwerp on 17 August 1585 he did not join the exodus of citizens who left the city. In 1588 he served for the first time as alderman of Antwerp. On 5 September 1589 he married Adriana Perez (1568–1619) in the Cathedral. His wife was a neighbor in the Keizerstraat and the daughter of the wealthy merchant and banker Luis Perez (1532–1601) and Maria van Berchem. Her parental grandparents were Spanish conversos who had arrived in Antwerp during the early sixteenth century. The couple would remain childless.[3]
In 1590, he was knighted by the Archdukes
In 1603 Rockox bought the house named Gulden Rinck in the Keizersstraat and developed it into his main residence. It is now the
Rockox served several terms as mayor of Antwerp. He held other important posts including Justice of the Peace, guild master of the Cloth Hall, head of the Arquebusiers’ Guild, chief treasurer and head of the civic guard.[4] He died in the Gulden Rinck and was buried in the church of the Recollect convent, where he had a private chapel built for his deceased wife in 1619.[5] Because he had no children, his property was given to the poor, in devotion.
During his life Rockox spent an important part of his private fortune to benefit the poor. He commanded that a public reserve of grain be prepared for the poor in case of war or siege. He paid 45,300 florins for this from his private fortune. After his death his famous collection of artworks spread to other collections worldwide.
Patronage and collection
Rockox commissioned multiple paintings from
Other artists in his collection included Anthony van Dyck, Frans Snyders, Jan van Eyck, and Pieter Bruegel. After his death, his art collection was sold publicly.[6]
Numismatist
Rockox was also an avid coin collector and kept a detailed catalague annotated in his own hand (
References
- ^ Van de Velde, Hildegarde en Van Hout, Nico, Het Gulden Cabinet. Koninklijk Museum bij Rockox te gast, uitgave van de vzw Museum Nicolaas Rockox, Antwerpen, 2013 (in Dutch)
- ^ a b "Nicolaas Rockox (1560–1640), Burgemeester van de Gouden Eeuw" (in Dutch). www.tento.be. 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ Froukje Wattel, Nicolaas Rockox, erfenis van een ultieme Antwerpenaar, MUSEUMCLUB.NL, 20/02/2019
- ^ a b Who was Nicolaas Rockox at the Snijders&Rockox House
- ^ a b Hildegard Van de Velde. "Museum Rockoxhuis | Barok in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden". Barokinvlaanderen.vlaamsekunstcollectie.be. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
- ^ Veronique van Passel, "Rockox, Nicolaas", Grove Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.