The Pan Poëticon Batavum was a collection of small portraits of poets mounted on plates that were kept in a curiosity cabinet by the 18th-century Dutch painter Arnoud van Halen.
Van Halen began assembling his collection around 1700 by painting miniature portraits himself that he copied from engravings. For contemporary poets he enlisted the help of friends and colleagues. Before he died, Van Halen managed to collect 346 portraits. Currently, 80 of them are part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Van Halen's cabinet was very popular, and consequently several books mentioned it or had it as a subject. These books included Schouburgh by Arnold Houbraken. Houbraken claimed that the cabinet held portraits of over 100 people (Houbraken was writing in 1712).[1]
The most notable book was published by the man who purchased this collection after Van Halen died in 1732, Michiel de Roode. De Roode published the book in 1773 as a member of Leiden's learned society ‘Kunst wordt door arbeid verkreegen’ (art is accomplished by work) which paid for the edition. That the book was popular is attested by the fact that in 1808 the Teyler's Stichting gave Wybrand Hendriks the request to purchase it for up to 500 guilders at auction, and Hendriks bought it for 200 guilders.[2]
An incomplete list of poet portraits:
| image | Article | inception | collection | inventory number | creator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait of Bernardus de Bosch I (1709-1786), Poet and Art Patron in Amsterdam | 1743 | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-791 SK-A-4625 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | ||
| Portrait of Theodoor van Snakenburg, Jurist and Poet in Leiden | 1743 | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4832 | Hieronymus van der Mij | ||
| Portrait of Pierius Winsemius, Professor of Rhetoric and History in Franeker | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-1503 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Frans Greenwood, Miniaturist, Glass Engraver and Poet in Dordrecht | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-1968 | Aert Schouman | |||
| Portrait of Matheus de Casteleyn, Priest and Rhetorician in Oudenaarde | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4553 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Jason Pratensis (1486-1558), physician of Zierikzee | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4554 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Petrus Bertius, Professor at Leiden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4556 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Johannes Polyander à Kerckhoven, Professor of Theology in Leiden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4557 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Johan van der Does the Younger, Librarian in Leiden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4558 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Theodorus Velius, Writer of the Chronicle of Horn | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4559 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Theodorus Schrevelius (1572-1653) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4560 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jacob van den Eynde, Governor of Woerden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4561 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jan van der Rosieren (born 1581) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4563 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jacobus Schotte, Burgomaster of Middelburg | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4564 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (1589-1662) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4565 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Samuel Ampzing (ca.1591-1632) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4566 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jan Jansz Starter (1594-1626) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4567 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Florentius Schoonhoven, Poet in Latin, Burgomaster of Gouda | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4568 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Constantijn Huygens, Poet, Secretary to Prince Frederick Henry and Prince William II and First Councilor and Exchequer to William III | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4570 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Willem de Groot, Lawyer and Writer | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4571 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Cornelis Hendriksz Udemans, Poet in Veere | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4572 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Jan van der Veen, Pharmacist and Poet in Deventer | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4574 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jacob Lescailje, Bookdealer and Poet in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4576 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Joannes Cools (born 1611), Jurist, Historian and Latin Poet in Hoorn | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4578 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4579 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Willem Jacobsz van Heemskerck, Poet and Engraver on Glass | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4581 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of the painter Bonaventura Peeters I (1614-52) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4582 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Alexander Morus, Professor at Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4584 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Everard Meyster, Poet in Utrecht | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4586 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Joan van Paffenrode, Baron of Ghussigny, Dramatic Poet | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4587 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Willem Ogier, Dramatic Poet in Antwerp | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4588 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jan Six (1618-1700) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4589 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Johan van Nijenborgh, Poet in Groningen | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4590 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Sibylle van Griethuysen (ca.1620-na 1662) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4591 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Jan Vos (c. 1620-67), Amsterdam poet | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4592 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Caspar van Kinschot, Poet | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4595 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Jacob Heiblocq, Rector of the Latin School in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4596 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Tieleman Jansz van Bracht, Clergyman and Poet in Dordrecht | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4597 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Johan de Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4598 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Matthys van de Merwede, Lord of Clootwyck, Poet in Dordrecht (Mathias de Merwede de Clootwyck) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4599 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Franciscus Planté, Clergyman at Zevenbergen and in Brazil | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4600 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Frans Godin, Poet in Brussels | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4602 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Andries Pels (1631-81) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4603 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Joost van Geel, Painter and Poet in Rotterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4604 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Joannes Vollenhove, Clergyman and Poet in The Hague | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4605 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Christoffel Pierson (1631-1714) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4606 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Aernout van Overbeke, Explorer and Poet | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4607 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Frans van Hoogstraten, Poet and Bookseller in Rotterdam and Dordrecht | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4608 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Petrus Schaak, Clergyman and Scholar in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4609 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Karel Verloove, Poet in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4610 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Pieter Verhoek (1633-1702) | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4611 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Balthasar Bekker, Clergyman and Man of Letters in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4612 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of David Lingelbach I, Founder of the Nieuwe Doolhof (New Labyringh), Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4613 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Tobias Gutberleth, Man of Letters in Leeuwarden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4615 | Arnoud van Halen | |||
| Portrait of Gijsbert Tijssens, Playwright in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4616 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Adrianus van Royen (1704-79), professor of medicine and botany in Leiden | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4617 | anonymous | |||
| Portrait of Frans van Steenwijk, Poet and Playwright in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4618 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Joannes Badon, Poet from Vlaardingen | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4619 | Nicolaas Reyers | |||
| Portrait of Abraham Haen the Younger, Draftsman, Etcher and Poet in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4620 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Lucas Pater, Merchant and Poet in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4621 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard | |||
| Portrait of Cornelis van der Pot, Merchant and Poet in Rotterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4622 | Dionys van Nijmegen | |||
| Portrait of Frans de Haes, Poet and Linguist in Rotterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4623 | Dionys van Nijmegen | |||
| Portrait of Adriaan van der Vliet, Poet in Rotterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4624 | Dionys van Nijmegen | |||
| Portrait of Nicolaas Willem op den Hooff, Physician and Translator in Amsterdam | Rijksmuseum | SK-A-4626 | Jan Maurits Quinkhard |