The Art of Frans van Mieris

Praised by contemporaries as the most important of all Leiden "fijnschilders" (masters of fine painting), Frans van Mieris (1635-1681) is best known for his innovative interior scenes and elegant portraits. Although Van Mieris painted serious allegories and portraits, most of his works are thoughtful yet lighthearted genre scenes. Quacks, peasants, elegantly dressed ladies, soldiers and pets appear in different combinations, mostly painted on copper, often stressing themes such as love, deceit, vanity and imitation. Van Mieris's pictures were widely copied by contemporaries and influenced many fellow painters, including Vermeer. Intimate in scale, the masterpieces rarely measure more than fifteen square inches. The works have been selected in consultation with the Van Mieris scholar Otto Naumann, who is contributing to the catalogue along with other leading scholars.

Organization: Organized by the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Pressetext

Frans van Mieris der Ältere
Amorous Intrigues and Painterly Refinement: The Art of Frans van Mieris
Organisation: Mauritshuis Den Haag; National Gallery, Washington