Dirk van Bleiswijk

Print by Jan Verkolje of Dirck Evertsz van Bleyswijck at the age of thirty, from his book in 1671. Dirk van Bleiswijk, or Dirck van Bleyswijck (28 December 1639 in Delft – 11 September 1681 in Middelburg), was a Delft politician and writer.

Biography In 1671, he became councilman or "veertigraad" in Delft, in 1672 magistrate, and in 1675 mayor. In 1681, he became a councilman in the admiralty of Zeeland. He is known for his "Description of the city of Delft" (Dutch: Beschryvinge der stad Delft), published in 1667. He was sickly and remained unmarried.

Legacy Bleiswijk's work is an important archive for the city of Delft. He touches on a number of different aspects of city life, including its painters, though scholars have failed to find traces of commentary on Johannes Vermeer. The Delft writer Reinier Boitet published an update of Bleiswijk's work in 1729, and reused Deckers plates, De Ram's map, and merged biographical information van Karel van Mander and Arnold Houbraken's commentary on Delft painters.