Biography Frans van Mieris the Elder

the music lesson, national museum of serbia, belgrade

the subjects treated best in illustrated habits or actions of wealthier classes; succeeded in homely incidents , in portrait, , not infrequently ventured on allegory. repeatedly painted satin skirt ter borch brought fashion, , rivalled ter borch in faithful rendering of rich , highly coloured woven tissues. remained below ter borch , metsu, because had not delicate perception of harmony or charming mellowness of touch , tint, , fell behind gerard dou, because hard , had not feeling effect concentrated light , shade. in form of composition, represents framework of window enlivened greenery, , adorned bas-reliefs within figures seen waist, model dou.

duet frans van mieris sr. (1658) oil on wood, 31,7 x 24,7 cm. staatliches museum, schwerin

it questionable whether houbraken has accurately recorded master s birthday. 1 of best-known pieces, party of ladies , gentlemen @ oyster luncheon, in hermitage @ st petersburg, bears date of 1650. celebrated alike composition , finish, prove mieris had reached prime @ age of fifteen. beautiful example, doctor feeling lady s pulse in gallery of vienna, dated 1656; , waagen, in 1 of critical essays, justly observes remarkable production youth of twenty-one. in 1657 mieris married @ leiden in presence of jan potheuck, painter, , earliest written record of existence on can implicitly rely. of numerous panels mieris, twenty-nine @ least dated—the latest being allegory, long in ruhl collection @ cologne, illustrating considered kindred vices of drinking, smoking , dicing, in year 1680. mieris had numerous , distinguished patrons. received valuable commissions archduke leopold, elector-palatine, , cosimo iii de medici, grand duke of tuscany. practice large , lucrative, never engendered in him either carelessness or neglect. if there difference between painter s earlier , later work, former clearer , more delicate in flesh, whilst latter darker , more livid in shadows. when died clients naturally went on son willem, in turn bequeathed painting-room son frans. neither willem nor frans van mieris younger equalled frans elder.

the pictures of generations of mieris family imitated a. d. snaphaan, lived @ leipzig , patronized court of anhalt-dessau. study deceptive form of art visit collection of wörlitz near dessau may afford instruction.