The New Church at Delft with the Tomb of William the Silent

Van Vliet specialised in views of the interiors of Delft's two main churches, the Old and the New Church. The New Church housed the tomb of the assassinated Dutch hero William I of Orange ('the Silent) (1533 - 1584) who helped establish the independence of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. Despite its apparent accuracy, this image has in fact been somewhat distorted. In reality one cannot view both the tomb of William the Silent as well as the view across the church choir. A signature and the date 1667 were said to be legible in 1962; In 1995, they were no longer visible. This painting was lent to the Walker by the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys from 1962.