Nicolaes van der Meer (1574-1637), a brewer in Haarlem, was married to Cornelia Vooght, also from a brewing family. They were in their fifties when they commissioned Frans Hals to paint their portrait. They radiate wealth and power. Van der Meer held key posts in the city. He also served on the admiralty board, tasked with defending Dutch trading posts around the world – including those where enslaved captives were traded, whose exploitation made the fortunes of people like Van der Meer.