| Willem Hondius | |
|---|---|
| Born | ca. 1598 The Hague |
| Died | 1652 or 1658 Gdańsk |
| Field | Engraving |
| Movement | Baroque |
| Patrons | Władysław IV Vasa, John II Casimir Vasa |
Willem Hondius or Willem Hondt (born ca. 1598, The Hague - died in 1652 or 1658, Gdańsk) was a Dutch engraver, cartographer and painter.
Willem was one of seven children of Hendrik Hondius the Elder (*1573; † c. 1649) and Sara Jansdochter. His father was one of the most important Dutch reproductive printmakers and publishers in the early 17th century. A relationship with the Hondius family of cartographers in Amsterdam is possible, but no connection has yet been established.
In 1636 Willem visited Gdańsk (Danzig) in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.[1] In 1641 he moved there for good from The Hague. Hondius was supported at the royal court of King Władysław IV Waza. The King awarded him the title of Chalcographus privilegialus (privileged engraver)[2] and Chalcographus Regius (Royal engraver).[3] He was twice married, firstly in 1632 in The Hague to Kornelia van den Enden, secondly in 1646 in Gdańsk to Anna Mackensen, daughter of the Royal goldsmith. In August 1651, in the wake of the Khmelnytsky Uprising, Hondius joined the army of Janusz Radziwiłł conquering Kiev.[1] The first ever portrait of the famous Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky was engraved during this campaign.[1] No information is known of him after 1652, though he may have lived until 1658.