HvB

Hendrick Ariaensz. van Buyten (1632-1701) was a master baker and headman of the Bakers' Guild in 1668. He owned a house on the south side of Choorstraat, possibly also one on Oude Delft. On Koornmarkt he owned two houses, one on the east side In het Witte Paert (In the White Horse) sold in 1683; one on the west side De Gulden Cop (The Golden Cup) at number 31. Van Buyten inherited his wealth.

The diplomat and connoisseur Balthasar de Monconys visited this 'boulanger' in 1663 to see a Vermeer painting, featuring one lady, then estimated at an astounding 600 'livres' (here: guilders). Van Buyten had delivered two to three years' worth of bread to the Vermeer family forsum totals of 617 and 109 guilders. In 1676 an agreement to settle this bill was reached with Vermeer's widow Catharina in exchange for two Vermeer paintings. His final collection of Vermeers included the Lady and Maidservant (Frick Collection or Dublin) and a figure playing the 'cytar', which probably is the Guitar Player (Kenwood House, London) and several other paintings by Delft masters.

In the inventory after Van Buyten's death in 1701 contained a total of three Vermeer paintings and apart from that a painting depicting Moses / the Finding of Moses (higly likely the one shown in the background of the Lady and Maidservant painting in Dublin ) and a group of three paintings by Van Asch (possibly the one shown in the background of the Guitar Player, Kenwood House, London).

In Delft we find Vermeer paintings in the private art collections of Pieter Claesz van Ruijven, Hendrick Ariaensz. van Buyten, Johannes de Renialme, Cornelis van Assendelft, Cornelis de Helt and Gerard van Berckel.

Even in 1631, one year prior to Vermeer's birth there was a deal between Adriaen Hendricksz van Buyten, father of this Master baker, and Reynier Jansz, who was Vermeer's father. In 1631 the former made a statement that a third party had left Reynier a number of wooden clogs to be taken to his niece in Amsterdam

Note. Montias, 1993, p. 239, 240; 280, 318 (note 8). Van Buyten was a successful businessman. He became well to do in 1669 when he inherited 3.829 guilders. Internet archives show that in 1659 he married Machteld van Assen. Montias 1993 p. 281 calls their art collection 'provincial and old fashioned'. Oude Delft see Huizenprotocol Fol. 918 as "Hendrik van Buitene". Headman see Montias 1980, p. 57. Gulden Cop in Ett 1975 p. 78, but not in GAD Huizenprotocol or File of House Names. In het Witte Paert in GAD Oud Recht. Arch I 219.

This page forms part of a large encyclopedic site on Delft. Research by Drs. Kees Kaldenbach (email). A full presentation is on view at johannesvermeer.info.

Launched 16 February 2005; Last update March 1, 2017. More info in the RKD site.