Pieter van Ruijven had belonged to the Van Ruijvens, who had built up a large collection of paintings by Vermeer, three by Emanuel de Witte, four by Simon de Vlieger and one by Jan Porcellis. He is depicted as a predatory lecher in Tracy Chevalier's historical novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1999), although there is absolutely no evidence of this. The 2003 film of the book also follows this characterization. Pieter van Ruijven Pieter Claesz. van Ruijven (Delft, 1624 – Delft, August 7, 1674) is best known as Johannes Vermeer's patron for the better part of the artist's career. Van Ruijven was
Pieter Maria Frans van Meeuwen at Leiden University. From 1859 he was a lawyer in 's-Hertogenbosch. Pieter Maria Frans van Meeuwen Jonkheer Pieter Maria Frans van Meeuwen (1837 's-Hertogenbosch- 1913 's-Hertogenbosch), was a Dutch jurist and president of the court of justice. He was a member of the Catholic elite and a member of the lower nobility with the title jonkheer. Van Meeuwen was the son of Eduardus Johannes Petrus van Meeuwen, a governor of Limburg, and Cornelia Theresia Hanssen. Pieter's grandfather was a large brewer in 's-Hertogenbosch and Amsterdam. He was a member of the National Assembly and belonged to the moderate unitarians, who