Jacob Jacobsz de Wet II (1641 – 1697)

• Also known as James de Witt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
• According to the RKD, he was one of five children of the painter Jacob Willemszoon de Wet.
• His father taught him to paint.
• In 1668 he moved to Amsterdam and married Helena Stalmans, with whom he had five children.
• In 1673 he secured the patronage of Sir William Bruce, King’s Surveyor and Master of Works in Scotland, and was brought to Edinburgh to work on Charles II's restoration of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• For two years, de Wet painted decorative historical, mythical and allegorical scenes for the newly rebuilt state apartments at Holyrood.
• In 1684 de Wet signed a contract with Hugh Wallace, the Royal Cashkeeper, on 26 February which bound him to produce, for £120 per annum and within the period of two years, 110 portraits of Scottish monarchs.
• For the next two years, de Wet worked in his Canongate studio painting a portrait a week for the royal collection.
• The completed set (a portrait of James VII was also added upon his accession) was hung in the Great Gallery of Holyroodhouse and 97 are still on display today.
• After completing his royal portrait series de Wet again returned to Amsterdam.
• He died in Amsterdam and was buried there in the Nieuwe Kerk on 16 November 1697.
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