Portrait of a Lady, Aged 58

Miereveld, Michiel Jansz.van 1567 - 1641

Summary

Michiel van Miereveld was one of the leading portrait painters at the court of the princes of Orange-Nassau. He was the oldest of the first generation of 17th century portraitists, and to some extent his work is still closely related to that of the preceding generation. Although early 17th century Netherlandish portraitists generally sought to portray their sitters naturalistically, their work tends to be characterised by a certain austerity, such as dark tones and stiff poses. Miereveld did not indulge his sitters' vanity. He ran a thriving workshop in Delft, and his wide clientele included diplomats, government officials, army and naval officers and prominent citizens. He made extensive use, as was the custom, of the help of his many assistants and pupils, and many works were made specifically for the open market. The inscription shows that the sitter was aged 58 when she was painted in 1636.