Pieter Hooft

Pieter Hooft (1581-1647), Dutch poet, historian, dramatist, and statesman. Born in Amsterdam, Hooft held the position of bailiff of Goorland from 1609 until his death. In his later years he was knighted by Louis XII, and he made his castle at Muiden into the cultural centre of the country.

Hooft was a member of a group of artists, poets, and men of letters who were identified with the Dutch Renaissance. When he was only 16, his tragedy Achilles and Polyxena was performed. His second tragedy, Theseus and Ariadne, was produced in 1602. The pastoral comedy Grandida (1605) was written under Italian influence; Geeraerdt van Velzen (1612) was inspired by ancient dramatic forms; Warenar (1614) was an adaptation of the Aulularia of the Roman comic dramatist Plautus; and Baeto (1616) was influenced by the Roman philosopher Seneca. Although these four plays were written under foreign or classical influence, each is completely Dutch in its final nature. Hooft was also known for his love poetry, which was regarded as graceful and charming.

In 1618 Hooft turned from poetry and drama to the field of history, writing The History of Henry the Great (1626), The Miseries of the Princes of the House of Medici (1638), and Dutch History (20 vols., 1642). In writing the history of his country, Hooft was influenced by the work of the Roman historian Tacitus. Dutch History belongs to the classics of Dutch letters, and although its author was influenced by Latin syntax, Hooft’s prose is among the finest ever written in Dutch. See also Dutch Literature.