Portret van Jan Nieuwenhuyzen 1792

Jacob Willem Strunck created this print of Jan Nieuwenhuyzen using etching and engraving techniques. Looking at this portrait, consider the role of religious figures in shaping Dutch society during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nieuwenhuyzen was a Mennonite minister and educator; the inscription below the portrait indicates that he was a teacher in Monnickendam and the founder of the Society for General Usefulness. This tells us about the importance of religious institutions and individual initiative in promoting social welfare and education during this period. The clean lines and formal composition suggest a desire to present Nieuwenhuyzen as a respectable and upstanding member of the community. The fact that this portrait was printed and distributed also suggests a desire to promote his image and ideas more widely. Historians interested in the social and cultural history of the Netherlands can use sources such as church records, pamphlets, and organizational archives to reconstruct the world of figures like Nieuwenhuyzen and their contributions to the formation of modern Dutch society.