Gedicht op Govert Flinck 1597 - 1679

This is a poem on Govert Flinck, written by Joost van den Vondel. It likely dates to the mid-17th century. Vondel's verses demonstrate the cultural value placed on painting in the Dutch Golden Age. Flinck, celebrated as a modern Apelles – the renowned painter of antiquity – was commissioned to create history paintings for Amsterdam's Town Hall. Vondel notes that Flinck would have clad the Town Hall with 'histories, Like Tacitus of old expressed.' Tacitus was a Roman historian and senator. This civic commission reflects the cultural and political aspirations of the Dutch Republic. By depicting scenes from Roman history in their Town Hall, the Amsterdam elite sought to connect their own republican values and political achievements with the historical example of the Roman Republic. To understand the importance of this poem we can look to archives of civic commissions, biographical accounts of both Vondel and Flinck, and studies of Dutch republicanism. These resources shed light on the public role of art, revealing how it reinforces social values and commemorates historical narratives.