FRANS VAN MIERIS I (1635-1681)

Allegory of Painting (1661)

Oil on copper 12,5 x 8,5 cm

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

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Frans van Mieris I was a leading member of the fijnschilders (fine painters), a group of artists active in Leiden, who produced small-scale paintings of meticulous detail and exquisite refinement. Born into a family of gold and silversmiths van Mieris was apprenticed in the family trade at the age of ten. He then went on to study under three painters, the most important of them was Gerard Dou (1613-1675). He was admitted to the painter’s guild of Leiden at the age of 23 and remained in Leiden his entire life. Despite being a very popular artist whose works commanded very high prices, he was always in debt. He died in poverty at the age of 46.

Frans van Mieris´s Allegory of Painting or Pictura is a jewel of a painting, a tiny, exquisite masterpiece. Its colours are bright and pure and its illusionism highly convincing; from the shimmering silk of her blouse to the glittering golden chain, the white plaster statue and the soft flesh tones. The painting is based on a description given in the work of Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia, van Mieris followed Ripa’s description but he altered some details. The mask hanging from the golden chain is a reference to the power of Painting to deceive the eye.

Pictura is typical of many paintings on copper in its small size, high polish, and excellent state of preservation. Typical also is its fine detail, such as the minute strands of the woman’s hair, the red line defining the upper lid of her right eye and the white highlights that brighten her eyes. Because of its small size, minute details and sensual qualities, the painting invites close inspection and is very probable that was kept in a cabinet for intimate inspection.