Recently, I got the opportunity to contribute a short article about the multi-talented architect, engraver, collector, writer, and naturalist Simon Schijnvoet (1652-1727) to the website of the Panpoëticon Batavûm (in Dutch). Schijnvoet not only was a moralistic and witty writer with great knowledge of history and natural philosophy, but he also designed the cabinet called the Panpoëticon Batavûm. So what is the Panpoëticon Batavûm? Many people know the most famous painters from the Dutch Republic, for instance Rembrandt and Vermeer. Besides that, however, around 1700, the painter and engraver Arnoud van Halen (1673-1732) thought that Netherlands' most famous poets and writers also deserved a place of honor. Therefore, he decided to initiate a cabinet in which these writers could be united, and he painted their portraits encasing the... [more Simon Schijnvoet in the Panpoëticon Batavûm]
Blog posts by Tanne Bloks
Tanne Bloks is currently following the double research master Dutch Literature and Culture (NL&C) and History and Philosophy of Science (HPS). In 2020 she received her BA in Dutch Language and Culture (cum laude) at Utrecht University (Netherlands). Her multidisciplinary research integrates methods and theories from book history, the history of collecting, color theory and optics.