260
12 Coda
Fig. 12.4 The formal painting, also by Jan Veth, with Kapteyn dressed in academic
gown, jabot and beret. It now resides in the Senate Room in the Academy building of
the University of Groningen. University Museum Groningen
over-painting on it. At the presentation of my scientific biography Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn; Born investigator of the Heavens in January 2015, Jack Kapteyn
(Jacobus Cornelius), grandson of Kapteyn’s son Gerrit Jacobus, was present.
He had a painting with him that he possessed, and that also was painted by
Jan Veth (see Fig. 12.5). This is clearly a preliminary study. Completely in accordance with Blaauw’s hypothesis, the facial expression and posture are the
same as in the painting with the academic gown; Kapteyn is wearing the same
clothes there as behind his desk in the other painting.
As Kapteyn’s seventieth birthday (January 1921) approached, Willem de
Sitter took the initiative to publish a collection of Kapteyn’s most important papers. He formed a committee, including George Hale and the British
Astronomer Royal Frank Dyson. The latter received the support of Arthur
Eddington, but also met with some very strong opposition in the United
Kingdom. This was partly because the German Karl Küstner was also a member of the committee. Herbert Turner also was very much opposed to the plan;
12 Coda
Fig. 12.4 The formal painting, also by Jan Veth, with Kapteyn dressed in academic
gown, jabot and beret. It now resides in the Senate Room in the Academy building of
the University of Groningen. University Museum Groningen
over-painting on it. At the presentation of my scientific biography Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn; Born investigator of the Heavens in January 2015, Jack Kapteyn
(Jacobus Cornelius), grandson of Kapteyn’s son Gerrit Jacobus, was present.
He had a painting with him that he possessed, and that also was painted by
Jan Veth (see Fig. 12.5). This is clearly a preliminary study. Completely in accordance with Blaauw’s hypothesis, the facial expression and posture are the
same as in the painting with the academic gown; Kapteyn is wearing the same
clothes there as behind his desk in the other painting.
As Kapteyn’s seventieth birthday (January 1921) approached, Willem de
Sitter took the initiative to publish a collection of Kapteyn’s most important papers. He formed a committee, including George Hale and the British
Astronomer Royal Frank Dyson. The latter received the support of Arthur
Eddington, but also met with some very strong opposition in the United
Kingdom. This was partly because the German Karl Küstner was also a member of the committee. Herbert Turner also was very much opposed to the plan;