author
P. C. (Pieter Corneliszoon) Hooft
1581–1647
A leading voice of the Dutch Golden Age, this poet, playwright, and historian helped shape literary Dutch with elegant, humanist writing. He is especially remembered for bringing classical polish to poetry and drama while also turning to major historical writing later in life.
1 Audiobook
Granida
by P. C. (Pieter Corneliszoon) Hooft
About the author
Born in Amsterdam on March 16, 1581, Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft grew up in a prominent family and became one of the central literary figures of the Dutch Golden Age. He traveled in France and Italy as a young man, and those experiences left a clear mark on his work, which drew on Renaissance models while helping refine Dutch literary style.
Hooft wrote lyric poetry, plays, and historical works, and many readers have seen him as one of the finest representatives of Dutch Renaissance literature. Alongside his writing, he served as drost of Muiden and baljuw of Naarden, and Muiden Castle became closely associated with his cultural circle.
In his later years, he devoted major energy to history, most notably the Nederlandsche Historien, a large work on the Dutch Revolt. He died in The Hague on May 21, 1647, but his reputation has lasted for centuries thanks to the range of his writing and his influence on Dutch literature.