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Willem Hondius or Willem Hondt (1598 – 1652) was a Dutch engraver, cartographer and painter who spent most of his life in Poland.
Willem was one of the children of Hendrik Hondius the Elder (1573 –1649), a well regarded print maker in the Netherlands. A direct connection to Jodocus Hondius and the Hondius mapmaking family of Amsterdam has not been established.
In 1636 Willem visited Danzig and later, in 1641 he moved to the city, where he was supported at the royal court of King Władysław IV Waza. Hondius held the title of Chalcographus privilegialus (privileged engraver) and Chalcographus Regius (Royal engraver).
In August 1651, Hondius joined the army of Janusz Radziwiłł conquering Kyiv. The first ever portrait of the famous Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky was engraved by Hondius
Includes a pencil note that Hondius was careful to engrave his own portrait well.
