APPARENTLY UNMARKED, CIRCA 1780

Hendrik Hooft Danielsz. (1716- 1794) was Schepen of Amsterdam, and was elected Burgomaster no less than eight times. Numerous odes, prints and portraits on glasses, coins and porcelain testify to his great popularity among the Amsterdam populace. Nicknamed Vader Hooft, the burgomaster was a cherished leader of the Patriots, and in 1787 managed to place the city's government for a short while in Patriot hands. Unlike the other Patriot leaders, he was not prosecuted after the Stadhouder's forceful return to power in 1787, a testimony to his unique position.
Hooft is depicted here on a medallion held by a young patriot and the winged figure of Fame. Below his portrait, Amsterdam's coat of arms and the fasces refer to his position as burgomaster. The canine to the foot of the column may be a humorous reference to the Orangist's sobriquet for Patriots: Keeshonden.