Bredero, Gerbrand Adriaanszoon (1585–1618)

Dutch poet and dramatist. His devotional and love poetry often achieves a mastery of formal control over deep and turbulent feelings, and his farces (Klucht van de koe 1612 and Klucht van de molenaar 1613) and comedies reveal sympathy for workers and the poor.

Bredero was born in Amsterdam. He was self-taught, and was also talented as a painter.

Moortje (1616) is a comedy modelled on the Roman writer Terence's The Eunuch, and Spaanschen Brabander (1619) is derived from the picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes. His Boertigh Amoreus en Aendachtigh Groot Lied-boeck appeared (1618).