in very expensive lodgings in the nearby Kalverstraat and he spent freely. In 1654 Van Campen (and Willem de Keyser left after an argument, probably in connection with the design of the barrel vaults. Stalpaert won, but his completion of the project was reported to be less fine than Van Campen's designs. After a long career, Van Campen died in 1657 in his buitenplaats (residence) Randenbroek near Amersfoort, which he had inherited from his mother, and was buried there. He had expanded it himself and had it decorated by Caesar van Everdingen. Van Campen never married, but had one son, Alexander Van Campen. Designs Van Campen was selective in what projects he took on. His best known works are: The Royal Palace, Amsterdam, former city hall. In 1647, his name is mentioned for the first time in connection with the design of the new city hall. It was to be a perfect building, perfect in its proportions and in the message it conveyed to the spectator. Its power lies in its strict and perfect proportions and extremely moderate decoration. Critics loathed the simple entrance - without stairs - on the ground floor. He is suspected to have had a hand in the alteration of the Rembrandthuis at the Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam (1627), and in the design of the castle Drakensteyn at Baarn The Mauritshuis in The Hague (1633). the Theatre of Van Campen (1638), based on the example of Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, in Amsterdam. the Paleis Noordeinde, a royal palace in The Hague (1640). As well as houses and palaces, he also designed a number of churches, such as those at Renswoude and at Hooge Zwaluwe, and the Nieuwe Kerk in Haarlem. Of that design, Pieter Saenredam made no fewer than three paintings and eight engravings. Furthermore, Van Campen designed gates and towers, e.g. for the Westerkerk and Nieuwe Kerk, both in Amsterdam. His paintings and wall decorations (such as those at Paleis Huis ten Bosch), show some similarity with the work of Paulus Bor, one of the founders of a group of painters calling themselves the Bentvueghels. References Further reading Huisken, Jacobine, Koen Ottenheym and Gary Schwartz, Jacob van Campen. Het klassieke ideaal in de Gouden Eeuw. Amsterdam, 1995. Mak, G. Het stadspaleis. De geschiedenis van het paleis op de Dam. Amsterdam, 1997. External links https://web.archive.org/web/20070607141647/http://www.bmz.amsterdam.nl/adam/nl/huizen/k177.html http://www.archimon.nl/architects/jvancampen.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111228/http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/c/campen/ Vermeer and The Delft School, a full text exhibition catalog