Portrait Medallion of Cornelis de Graeff, Artus Quellinus (I), 1660
Burgomaster Cornelis de Graeff was one of the driving forces behind the construction of Amsterdam’s new town hall. In this depiction, Quellinus portrayed him in profile, just like his wife, Catharina Hooft. This pictorial form is reminiscent of that on Roman coins. The association with the Romans is reinforced by the use of marble and a Latin inscription, in which De Graeff is referred to as ‘consul.’