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
Catharina Cornelia Hodshon Catharina Cornelia Hodshon Catharina Cornelia Hodshon (24 November 1768 – 16 November 1829), was a wealthy Dutch heiress and regentess of the Wijnbergshofje. She was born in Haarlem as the daughter of Albertus Hodshon, linen dealer, and Catharina Cornelia van der Graas. Both of her parents died before she was twelve and together with two brothers she became the ward of Pieter Kops. At 22, she was a wealthy heiress and regentess of the Wijnbergshofje who hired the leading Amsterdam architect Abraham van der Hart to build the house currently known as Hodshon house on the Spaarne. Her brother married