Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher (25 March 1594 – 20 June 1649), also called Maria Tesselschade Roemersdochter Visscher (Dutch pronunciation: [maːˈrijaː ˈtɛsəlˌsxaːdə ˈrumərzˌdɔxtər ˈvɪsər]), was a Dutch poet and glass engraver.
[1] She was given the name Tesselschade ("Damage on Tessel"), because her father lost ships near the Dutch island Texel on Christmas Eve 1593, three months before her birth, to remember that 'worldly wealth could be gone instantly.'
She and her sister, Anna, were the only female members of the Muiderkring, the group of Dutch Golden Age intellectuals who met at Muiden Castle.
She is often characterised as a muse of the group and attracted the admiration of its members, such as its organiser Hooft, Huygens, Barlaeus, Bredero, Heinsius, Vondel and Jacob Cats.
In remembrance of Tesselschade there are several streets named after her, such as Tesselschadestraat and Tesselschadelaan in Alkmaar, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Zwolle, Leiden and Leeuwarden.