AN “UNVERGLEICHBARER LIEBHABER”

This essay deals with the Dutch art dealer and diplomat in Swedish service Peter Spierinck (c.1595–1652), discussing his involvements in the arts and in politics as well as his ability to let a political career gain from artistic endeavours, and vice versa. More than most of his fellow‐agents, Spierinck understood the versatility of art, which could be used as a diplomatic currency, as a pretext for illegal communications, and as an instrument in one's personal program. The article examines this relation between politics and art, both in Spierinck's life and in early modern times in general.