vanmieris brochure

7/30/2019 Vanmieris Brochure

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a m o r o u s i n t r i g u e s a n d p a i n t e r l y r e f i n e m e n t

Te Art o Frans van Mieris

Naional Gallery o Ar, Washingon | February 26 May 21, 2006


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Frans van Mieris he Eler (1635 1681) is one o he mos celebrae Duchfjnschilders

ne painers whose elegan works o ar are isinguishe by meiculous brushwork,

paricularly in he renering o maerials. Describe by his eacher Gerri Dou as he

prince o all my pupils, Van Mieris achieve consierable ame in his lieime or his

maserul echnique. Seveneenh-cenury collecors o his inimae genre scenes, por-rais, an allegorical works prize above all he heighene illusionism ha makes hese

small painings so capivaing. Ye Van Mieris achieve more in his painings han jus

he imiaion o naure: he was especially concerne wih human emoion an he way

gures inerac wih one anoher. Many o his livelies works are lle wih eroic en-

sions an ambiguous narraives, epicingoen in a humorous waysocial exchanges

ha reece conemporary ieas abou he riuals o love, courship, an seucion.

the artists life and career

Frans van Mieris was born ino a amily o golsmihs in Leien on April 16, 1635. n he

early 1650s, he raine wih Gerri Dou, he mos amous painer in Leien, beore suy-

ing wih Abraham van en empel, a hisory an porrai painer who augh him how

o rener he sheen o woven abrics. Van Mieris reurne o Dous suio shorly beore

1655 an saye here unil joining he Leien painers Guil o Sain Luke in May 1658.

He woul laer serve as he guils ean. His marriage o Cunera van er Cock in he

spring o 1657 prouce our chilren, o whom he wo sons Jan an Willem becamepainers; his granson, Frans van Mieris he Younger, also earne his living as an aris.

One o he larges an mos imporan Duch ciies, Leien owe is wealh o he

manuacuring olaken, a ne cloh mae rom wool. n aiion, is isinguishe uni-

versiy, he oles cener o learning in he Duch Republic, mae Leien a major cener

o culure an scholarship. Arisic lie ourishe wih he presence o such painers as

Rembran van Rijn (who live in he ciy unil 1631), he group ofjnschilders cenere

aroun Rembrans suen Dou, an Jan Seen, wih whom Van Mieris was close

riens. Asie rom heir share ineres in paining humorous genre scenes, he wo

riens were repue o have spen much ime rinking ogeher in local averns.

From he beginning o his career, Van Mieris oun a reay marke among Leiens

auen ciizens. His remarkable skill in paining abric was perhaps all he more appre-

ciae in a ciy o exile manuacurers. Ye Van Mieris repuaion quickly exene

ar beyon he ciys borers. Among he ariss parons were oreign rulers, such as

Gran Duke Cosimo e Meici III o Florence, who visie Van Mieris on a rip o he

Neherlans in 1669, an Archuke Leopol Wilhelm, who rie o persuae he ariso become his cour painer in Vienna. Van Mieris business hrive in Leien, however,

an he chose o remain in he ciy his enire lie. When he ie here in 1681, he was bur-

ie in he Church o Sain Peer alongsie he ciys elie.


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One o he bes examples o he ariss abiliy o capure he angible presence o maerials

is he blue silk curain inA rompe lOeil with a Garland o Flowers and a Curtain, 1658 (fig. 2),

which Van Mieris execue wih he ower specialis Ariaen van er Spel. (rompe loeilis a

French erm ha means ool he eye.) Te curain, wih is sheen, ols, wrinkles, an gol-

embroiere ege, is so real in appearance ha one coul imagine pulling i back o reveal heowers behin i. Van Mieris complee he illusion wih he careully renere curain ro an

black rame. A he ime, curains were commonly hung in ron o painings o proec hem

rom us an soo. Van Mieris, like oher ariss who employe his picorial rick, hereore

was playing on viewers expecaions o seeing an acual curain suspene rom a ro aache

o he rame.

A rompe lOeil with a Garland o Flowers and a Curtain also recalls he amous sory o

he arisic compeiion beween Zeuxis an Parrhasios, wo painers rom classical aniquiy.

Zeuxis ha epice grapes so realisically ha birs rie o ea hem, bu Parrhasios paine a

curain ha Zeuxis rie o pull asie. Zeuxis hus eclare Parrhasios he winner, or he cur-

ain ha oole hima human being, an moreover an ariswhile Zeuxis grapes ha oole

only birs. Quie appropriaely, even uring his lieime, Van Mieris was compare o boh

Zeuxis an Parrhasios.

fig. 2 Frans van Mieris an Ariaen van er Spel,A rompe lOeil with a Garland o Flowers

and a Curtain, 1658, oil on panel, Te Ar nsiue o Chicago, Wir D. Walker Fun


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van mieris as storyteller

Like his eacher Dou, Van Mieris specialize in genre paining; mos o his works are narraive

scenes rawn rom everyay lie. Tey epic a wie range o Duch sociey, rom quacks an

peasans o ashionable young laies an soliers. Van Mieris emulae his amous eachers

aenion o eail an avore similar subjec maer, bu he place a greaer emphasis on ell-

ing sories an on he way gures relae o one oher. n Sending the Boy or Beer, c. 1655 1657

(fig. 3), an elerly woman has pause rom scraping carros o han a coin o a boy o ge some

beer, while he man nex o her laughingly reaches ino his ves, perhaps o pull ou money

or his own share. Van Mieris meiculously epice he archiecural eaures an urnishings

o a peasan inerior; he grouping o carros an kichenware in he lower righ corner is anespecially lovely passage. Warm ligh enering he room hrough he winows, however, raws

aenion primarily o he hree gures. Te aris aecionaely ocuses on he easy ineracions

o hese orinary people, lening he paining an inimae an slighly humorous characer.

Amorous pursuis were among he mos popular genre subjecs o he seveneenh cenury.

Brothel Scene, c. 1658 1659 (fig. 4), is one o Van Mieris livelies composiions, rich wih eroic

implicaions. Wha appears a rs o be a charming scene o iraion beween a buxom mai

fig. 3 Sending the Boy or Beer, c. 1655 1657, oil on panel,

Saens Museum or Kuns, Copenhagen


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an her jolly suior a an inn is in ac a epicion o a solier proposiioning a prosiue in a

brohel, a seeming illusraion o he seveneenh-cenury Duch saying nn in ron, brohel

behin. Te paining oers many visual clues o inerpre he naure o heir relaionship, such

as he womans loosene boice, a secon couple seen beyon he oorway, linens hanging over

a be above, an, mos conspicuous o all, a pair o copulaing ogs o he righ o he ofcer.By he en o he 1650s, Van Mieris began specializing in represenaions o he upper

classes. Flauning his unparallele abiliy o pain abrics, he increasingly clohe his gures in

colorul, expensive silks, sains, an velves. n Te Duet,1658 (fig. 5), a young woman in a

lavish orange-re ress plays he harpsichor while accompanie by a man playing he lue. Te

inerior is quie sumpuous, wih a large lanscape paining hanging on he wall, ornae archi-

ecural eails on a monumenal oorway, a chanelier visible in he nex room, a parro (a he

ime an exoic, precious bir), an he splenily ecorae harpsichor, whose makers name

is announce in large leering above he keyboar.

Te wo musicians are so absorbe in heir playing ha hey are unaware o an approaching

servan. Here music acs as a meaphor or he harmony o wo people in love, a heme accenu-

ae by he graceul an complemenary poses o he wo gures. Van Mieris rame hem wih

fig. 4 Brothel Scene, c. 1658 1659, oil on panel,

Royal Picure Gallery Maurishuis, Te Hague


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a brigh blue chair in he righ oregroun an a ark curain in he upper le, creaing an ini-

mae space or heir privae recial. ypical o Van Mieris, he illuminaion as o he rene-

men o his scene: or insance, he ligh reecing o he womans sain ress an he curle

shees o music.

Van Mieris sophisicae unersaning o color, ligh, an composiion is paricularly

evien in a maserpiece commonly known as Te Little Dog(cover). Te painings subjec

is he playul relaionship beween an elegan young woman, who has jus nishe her morn-

ing oile, an her pe spaniel. Much o he young womans eligh, he lile og respons o

her gesure an sans on is hin legs, begging or a rewar. However innocen he scene may

look, amorous connoaions are subly presen. Trough similar hemes escribe in emblem

books (popular publicaions in which moralizing exs are accompanie by explanaory images),

viewers o he ime woul have unersoo ha he playul game beween he lay an spanielparallels he game o love, whereby a misress eases her amirer by commaning him o o her

will. Oher elemens in he paining woul have been equally suggesive o seveneenh-cenury

viewers, such as he maiservan sraighening he be linens.

fig. 5 Te Duet,1658, oil on panel,

Saaliches Museum, Schwerin


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van mieris painting technique

Collecors oen pai azzling prices or Van Mieris painings, which, hough small in scale,

oen ook hunres o hours o nish. o creae he enamel-like eec o his highly eaile

picures, Van Mieris painsakingly use iny brushes o apply an moulae hin layers

o pain so ha he brushsrokes became nearly invisible. His works were mae o be viewe

up close where one coul marvel a he perecion o his echnique. Van Mieris occasionally

worke on copper raher han woohis usual supporo enhance he smoohness o his

painings surace.

Wih his meiculous echnique, Van Mieris was able o pain maerials in an asonishingly

realisic manner, a skill so highly regare by he Duch ha hey ha a wor or i: stouit-

drukking(he renering o exures). nAn Old Soldier with a Pipe, c. 1655 1657 (fig. 1),or insance, he convincingly isinguishes among an array o maerials, rom he har, ligh-

reecing meal breas plae o he so ur an eaher ha covering he soliers wavy hair.

Alhough he paining is iny (no quie eigh inches high), Van Mieris has manage noneheless

o rener he veins in he soliers hans, he grain o he wooen able an ankar, an he

meal buckle clasping he mans leaher bel.

fig. 1 An Old Soldier with a Pipe, c. 1655 1657, oil on panel,

Allenown Ar Museum, Gi o Mrs. Eugene L. Garbay


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portraitureAlhough known primarily or his genre scenes, Van Mieris was also a remarkable porrai

painer, execuing over ory small-scale porrais hroughou his career. He complee several

o his wie, incluing he ener Cunera van der Cock, the Artists Wie (fig. 6), c. 1657 1658.

Van Mieris has capure her elicae eaureshe hin sraigh nose, rosebu lips, small

chin, an pale skin in an inimae work ha was paine, probably aroun he ime o he

couples marriage, as a companion piece o a sel-porrai o he aris. Originally oval in

shape, he paining was laer expane o is presen orma, wih anoher aris compleing

he ae areas.

n conras o he personal porrayal o his wie, whose isincive eaures make her a

recognizable iniviual, Van Mieris paine a number o iealize porrais o he wealhy

ciizens o Leien. His polishe syle, so suie o he upper classes, became even more rene

in he 1660s wih he arrival o a micenury vogue or imeless ieals o perecion an beauy

ha ulimaely erive rom classical aniquiy. For example, Van Mieris occasionally use

classically inspire seings o reec he high saus o his siers, such as he monumenal

archiecure an marble sculpures in he backgroun oAgatha Paets, ae 1665 (fig. 7).One o he ariss nes an mos ambiious porrais, i porrays he wie o Leiens mayor

resse ashionably in a silk gown wih ornae sleeves. Te smooh perecion o her creamy

skin, he pleasing proporions o her eaures, an he elegance o her ormal pose sugges ha

Van Mieris epice her o conorm o conemporary sanars o beauy. n her righ han she

hols a peach. n Cesare Ripas Iconologia (1644), an inuenial hanbook in which absrac

ieas are personie by allegorical gures, he peach reers o he hear an he peachs lea o

fig. 7 Agatha Paets, 1665, oil on panel,

Privae collecion, Unie Saes

fig. 6 Cunera van der Cock,the Artists Wie,

c. 1657 1658, oil on vellum (?)

on panel, Te Naional Gallery, Lonon


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he human ongue. Tus, in orer o speak he ruh, ones hear mus be aache o he ongue

in he same way ha a peach is aache o he lea.

Van Mieris was secon only o Rembran in he number o sel-porrais he execue, an

one o his nes is he spleni 1667 Sel-Portrait(fig. 8). Here Van Mieris porrays himsel as

a isinguishe genleman a he peak o his success. Prou o his proession, he aris is shownwih he ools o his rae: palee, brushes, an easel. Van Mieris leans on a balusrae in a pose

similar o ha oun in several sel-porrais by ariss such as iian, Drer, an Rembran,

an he comparison o his illusrious group was surely inene. Te pose also allowe Van

Mieris o averise his exquisie renering o abrics, or he superbly paine sain o his sleeve

caches he eye o he viewer even more han he ariss ace.

allegories and history painting

Van Mieris use his wie many imes as a moel in his genre scenes. She also serve as he

moel or his allegorical Pictura he personicaion o he ar o paininga work rom

1661 (fig. 9). Alhough slighly iealize, Cuneras characerisic eaures are recognizable.

As Picura she is ienie by a number o aribues: a palee, brushes, an a golen chain

wih a mask, or masks, like painings, imiae appearances in he naural worl. Te plaser

cas o an anique sculpure in her arms is an explici reerence o an ancien ebae over which

o he arspaining or sculpurewas beer able o re-creae realiy. Ta paining coul

represen a sculpure convincingly was an asserion o is superioriy, or sculpure coul noo he reverse.

fig. 8 Sel-Portrait, 1667, oil on panel,

Te Naional rus, Polesen Lacey

fig. 9 Te Art o Painting (Pictura), 1661,

oil on copper, Te J. Paul Gey Museum, Los Angeles


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Van Mieris pai grea aenion o he gures lusrous sain garmen, is surace seemingly

shimmering in he ligh. He applie vibran hues o blue an pink o capure is ever-changing

appearance. Te excepional richness o he glossy garmen sems rom he copper suppor

an rom a hin layer o gol lea applie uner he pain. Van Mieris apparenly use gol lea

in his way in a number o painings; i was an unusual echnique (hough one use a imes by

Rembran) an inicaive o his iniial raining as a golsmih.

Alhough Pictura is a rare example o allegorical paining or Van Mieris, some o his genre

scenes likewise conain eeper meanings. Te elighul painingA Boy Blowing Bubbles, 1663

(fig. 10), or insance, reers o more han jus a joyul pasime o chilhoo. Bubbles were asso-

ciae wih he ransience o earhly lie, a meaning capure by he Lain expression Homo

bulla (man is a bubble), ha he Duch philosopher Erasmus reinrouce in he sixeenh

cenury. Like Pictura, A Boy Blowing Bubbles also may have been a visual argumen ha pain-ing coul imiae realiy beer han sculpure coul. Only a viruoso painer coul creae he

highly illusionisic space o he winow rame an rener such ifcul maerial as soap bub-

bles. Perhaps he mos ecepive elemen is he snail ha seems o crawl below he winow over

he ae o he paining. Te curious coloring o he ower an vine leaves is ue o aging: over

ime he yellow pigmen has broken own, leaving only he blue ha ha been mixe wih he

yellow o make he original green.

fig. 10 A Boy Blowing Bubbles, 1663, oil on panel,

Royal Picure Gallery Maurishuis, Te Hague


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n he las ecae o his career, Van Mieris execue a number o hisory pieces, he erm

use o escribe scenes rawn rom he Bible or myhology. One o hem, Jeroboams Wie

with the Prophet Ahijah (fig. 11), epics a biblical episoe rom he lie o sraels rs king,

Jeroboam. Van Mieris chose o porray he momen when he blin prophe Ahijah ells he

kings wie ha her son woul ie an he cour woul be esroye because o he kingspracice o iolary. Upon hearing he prophecy, she cluches a her hear. Van Mieris narraive

syle became quie hearical a he en o his career, as seen here in he exaggerae gesures

an expressions he use o convey he wies reacion o he horror o he prophecy.

van mieris influence

By he en o his shor lie, Van Mieris was amire as much or his rene echnique as or his

careully consruce narraives. Many ariss respone o his work, among hem Jan Seen,

Johannes Vermeer, an Gorie Schalcken (see gallery 13a), all o whom similarly paine

sumpuously resse gures in elegan ineriors. Van Mieris impac on Duch arisic rai-

ions exene well ino he early eigheenh cenury hrough he painings mae by his sons

an granson. While his ar ell largely ou o avor a he en o he nineeenh cenury, appre-

ciaion or i has recenly risen again, helping o reesablish Van Mieris as one o he eminen

ariss o his ime.

fig. 11 Jeroboams Wie with the Prophet Ahijah,

1671, oil on panel, Palais es Beaux-Ars, Lille


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programs

Concerts

Sunay, March 19, 6:30 p.m. in he Wes Garen Cour

Te Egiius Kware, a vocal ensemble rom he

Neherlans, perorms he music o ielman Susao

an oher seveneenh-cenury Duch composers.

Concers a he Naional Gallery o Ar are ree an

open o he public. Amiance o he Wes Garen

Cour is on a rs-come, rs-seae basis, beginning

a 6:00 p.m.

Lecture Programs

February 26, 2:00 p.m., Eas Builing Auiorium

Frans van Mieris: Te Artist and His Reputation

Freerik J. Duparc, irecor, Royal Picure Gallery

Maurishuis

Courtship and Seduction in the Art o Frans van Mieris

Arhur K. Wheelock Jr., curaor o norhern baroque

painings, Naional Gallery o Ar

Exhibition ours

March 2, 3, 4, 7, an 9 a noon, Wes Builing

Amorous Intrigues and Painterly Refnement: Te Art

o Frans van Mieris (50 minues) le by Philip Leonar

Free one-hour ours or groups o weny or more

auls may be booke hree weeks in avance. Call

(202) 842-6247.

Film on Van Mieris

A welve-minue inroucory lm abou Van Mieris

ar is shown in he Micro Gallery in he Wes Buil-

ing. is prouce by Bobca V or he Royal Picure

Gallery Maurishuis an mae possible by Mr. an

Mrs. Tomas S. Kaplan. In Dutch with English subtitles.

cover:Te Little Dog(eail),c. 1660, oil on panel,Te Sae Hermiage Museum, S. Peersburg

Catalogue

Te exhibiion is accompanie by a ully illusrae,

256-page caalogue, Frans van Mieris 1635 1681,publishe by Waaners Publishers. Harcover $50.

On the Web

A lis o links o relae resources an aciviies is

available a www.nga.gov/exhibitions/vanmierisino.

htm.

General Inormation

Hours: Monay Sauray, 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Sunay 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Gallery Web sie: www.nga.gov

For inormaion abou accessibiliy o gal leries an

public areas, assisive lisening evices, sign-language

inerpreaion, an oher services an programs,inquire a an Ar normaion Desk, consul he Web

sie, or call (202) 842-6690 / tdd line (202) 842-6176.

Amission o he Naional Gallery o Ar an all o is

programs is ree o charge, excep as noe.

Brochure written by Margaret Doyle, department of

exhibition programs, and Jephta Dullaart, department

of northern baroque paintings, and produced by the

department of exhibition programs and the publishing

ofce. Copyright 2006 Board of Trustees, National

Gallery of Art, Washington

This exhibition is organized by the Royal Picture

Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, in association with the

National Gallery of Art, Washington.

The exhibition is made possible by anonymous donors

to the National Gallery of Art.

It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal

Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

This brochure was made possible by Sothebys, New

York, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands,

and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, dc.

vanmieris brochure

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