Lot Essay
This would seem to be the right hand section of the drawing of the Castle of Zuilichem in the Collection de Grez, Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 1913 catalogue, no. 3680.
The castle of Zuilichem was probably built by the Colonna or Zuylen family and was part of the manor Zuilichem, known since 1196-7. It was bought by Constantijn Huygens I in 1630, and inherited by his son Constantijn Huygens II in 1688. The Castle was used as a summer residence by the Huygens family, and Constantijn Huygens II made at least two drawings of the house between 1657 and 1666 (J.F. Heijbroek [ed.], Met Huygens op reis, Amsterdam, 1982, pp. 65-6, nos. 12-3, illustrated). Jacob van der Ulft, burgomaster of Gorinchem, was a friend of the Huygens family, and is likely to have visited them at Zuilichem. A drawing by Van der Ulft of the whole house is in the Amsterdam Historisch Museum, (J.F. Heijbroek [ed.], op.cit., illustrated p. 16).
By descent the house passed into the hands of the Van Wassener family in 1751, and was sold to Johan Boellaard in 1753, who had it demolished in 1764 when it was largely ruined. The Eyck van Zuilichem family rebuilt parts of the castle in 1819, but these were largely demolished later
The castle of Zuilichem was probably built by the Colonna or Zuylen family and was part of the manor Zuilichem, known since 1196-7. It was bought by Constantijn Huygens I in 1630, and inherited by his son Constantijn Huygens II in 1688. The Castle was used as a summer residence by the Huygens family, and Constantijn Huygens II made at least two drawings of the house between 1657 and 1666 (J.F. Heijbroek [ed.], Met Huygens op reis, Amsterdam, 1982, pp. 65-6, nos. 12-3, illustrated). Jacob van der Ulft, burgomaster of Gorinchem, was a friend of the Huygens family, and is likely to have visited them at Zuilichem. A drawing by Van der Ulft of the whole house is in the Amsterdam Historisch Museum, (J.F. Heijbroek [ed.], op.cit., illustrated p. 16).
By descent the house passed into the hands of the Van Wassener family in 1751, and was sold to Johan Boellaard in 1753, who had it demolished in 1764 when it was largely ruined. The Eyck van Zuilichem family rebuilt parts of the castle in 1819, but these were largely demolished later