Grafmonument van Liere
This is the marble tomb containing the tomb of Willem van Liere (1620-1654), Lord of Katwijk. You can find it in the north side choir of the Dutch Reformed Church in Katwijk. The grave monument was made by the Flemish sculptor Rombout Verhulst (1624-1698), commissioned by Maria van Reygersbergh (1638-1673). She had been the widow of Van Liere since 1654, and in memory of her late husband, Van Reygersbergh had this tombstone made in 1663. It was unusual for the time.
Location
Katwijk
Year built
1663
Sculptor
Rombout Verhulst
Client
Maria van Reygersbergh
Special feature
Beneath the tomb is a crypt
Wheelchair accessible
Yes
Owned by Monumentenbezit
Since 2016
Visitor information
The grave monument of Willem van Liere is located in the Village Church of Katwijk.
Visiting address:
Dorpskerk, Kerklaan 12, Katwijk
Willem van Liere (1620-1654) served as captain of a Dutch company in Venice. His father was ambassador to France and Venice and had a large fortune. Willem van Liere was a member of the Dutch knighthood and, because of that knighthood, a committeeman at the Admiralty of Amsterdam. After his father's death in 1649, he inherited Oosterwijk Castle in addition to a large fortune.
In 1654, the seigniory of both Katwijken and 't Zand was offered for sale. Willem van Liere offered 110,000 Flemish pounds and was thus the highest bidder. Van Liere thus became lord of Katwijk and moved with his wife to the homestead 't Zand. He could not enjoy the estate for long; Willem van Liere died in 1654 at the age of only 34.
Maria van Reygersbergh (1632-1673) did not choose to return to Zeeland with her two young children after the death of her husband. In 1655 she obtained both Katwijken and 't Zand and became the lady of Katwijk. In 1662 she and her children moved to Lange Voorhout in The Hague, but Maria remained committed to the three seigneuries until her death in 1673. After her death, her son and daughter inherited considerable wealth. Her daughter, Jacoba van Liere (1651-1693), married Jacob van Wassenaer (1649-1707) in 1668. Thus, the tomb came under the administration of the Van Wassenaer family. When Maria died in 1673, she was interred in the tomb.
In November 1663, Rombout Verhulst put the finishing touches on the tomb. He is best known for his mausoleums of sailors such as Michiel de Ruyter and Maerten Harpertsz. Tromp. However, such mausoleums were commissioned by the state. For the tomb of Willem van Liere, his wife, Maria van Reygersbergh, commissioned it.
The sculpture depicts the deceased Willem van Liere, Lord of Katwijk, lying on a sarcophagus. He is carved in full in marble. Behind him is depicted his widow, alive and in erect posture. She mourns by the laid-up body of her deceased husband. The viewer is thus involved in the mourning process. Representing a living woman next to her deceased husband had not been done before in the Republic.
Against the wall behind the monument is an epitaph surrounded by garlands and putti bearing the coats of arms of the ancestors of Willem van Liere and Maria van Reygersbergh. Beneath the tomb is the crypt.
J. van Wassenaer van Catwijck was the last private owner of the grave monument. In 1920 he offered the tomb of Liere to the State, because he was convinced that the monument would then be in safer hands than with a private individual. He did attach some conditions to the donation. Firstly, the monument would have to remain in its original location; secondly, the State would have to undertake to maintain the northern half of the choir and the crypt, of which he wished to remain the owner; and thirdly, the monument would have to be able to be viewed unhindered and a service would have to be held in the choir during funerals.
The National Commission for the Preservation of Monuments wrote in its advice to the Minister that it was not desirable to take over a private monument. However, an exception had to be made for reasons of art historical interest. Therefore, they agreed to the conditions.
The State Building Department restored the north side choir in 1927, and the tomb itself was restored during 1946-1947. The terms of J. van Wassenaer van Catwijck still apply today. Since 2016, the monument has been in the hands of Monumentenbezit.