sun 10 feb 2008 06:38:35 — witte de whostraat?
about witte
i'm having trouble figuring out why the name "witte de with" is associated with the arts. art galleries on the amsterdam street bearing his name. an arts organization in rotterdam bearing his name. i half expected that when i finally got round to looking up who witte de with was, i'd learn that he was either a famous painter or a great patron of the fine arts.
turns out he was an ornery naval commander from the 1600s, who didn't seem to get on well with anybody. and yet he was born of staunch pacifist parents.