Information
Besides preserving the archives for the history of Zeeland, the Zeeland Archives (“Zeeuws Archief”) is curator of the collections of fine and decorative arts of the municipalities of Middelburg and Veere.
The maritime and trading history of the Dutch province of Zeeland is reflected in both these collections – which consist of paintings, prints and drawings, silverware, coins, glassware, porcelain, pottery, furniture and objets d’art. The highlights of the collection include portrait paintings of the Dutch stadholders Prince William I of Orange and Prince Maurits of Orange by Daniël van den Queborn (c. 1552–1605), the St. Sebastians Guild Militia by Cornelis Jonson van Ceulen (1593–1661), the Ambassador Cornelis van der Mijle Received by the Doge of Venice in 1609, Ships Calling at the Port of Veere in 1651 by Philip van Macheren (Dec. 1675) and Righteousness Exalts a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to Any People by Dirck van Delen (1605–1671). Objects unique to the Netherlands include the silver-gilt cup presented to Veere in 1551 by Maximilian of Burgundy, Lord of Veere, and the sixteenth-century bronze hands from Veere’s courthouse.
The Zeeland Archives serves as the curator of the art collections of the municipalities of Middelburg and Veere. This combination of archives and curatorship dates from the nineteenth century. More importantly, establishing the relationship between artworks and related archival documents contributes to a deeper understanding of the objects and their history.
Among the archives and collections managed by the Zeeland Archives are comprehensive collections of maps, prints and drawings, for instance the nearly 500 military-hydraulic maps and plans made by the Hatting family – eighteenth-century mapmakers.
Roosanne Goudbeek, Public Outreach Advisor for Archives and Collections (March 2024)