Portrait of a Gentleman C.1620; Studio of Michiel Jansz Van Mierevelt (1567-1641)

This exquisite portrait depicts a gentleman wearing an elaborate lace collar and slashed satin coat. Painted circa 1620 it is a fine example in its description of the sitter’s character and the careful reproduction of the face and fabrics. The extraordinary costume with its shimmering quality and costly fabric is of the highest quality and de rigueur for the upper class. This is indicative of the sitter’s wealth and speaks of the status of this gentleman.

The demand for portraits in the Netherlands and England was great in the 17th century and this portrait is a characteristic work by the painter Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt who was both extremely skilled and business minded. He was the most productive and successful portraitist in Delft and apart from the many Dutch patrons, English clientale were also very keen. English ambassadors, governors and supreme commanders who were stationed in the Netherlands also travelled to Delft to sit for him and it was not uncommon for them to order several copies to give to friends, relatives and their children when they setup home for themselves. Three times Van Mierevelt rejected prestigious offers to become court-painter, twice by English rulers (Prince Henry and Charles I) but he was not going to abandon financial stability for a prestigious but uncertain career in a foreign country. The most Prince Henry could extract from him was a promise to come to London for a three-month period but even that came to nothing. Mierevelt had more clientele than he could handle and his winckel was a slick operation capable of a large output with three or four fully trained assistants working with him at any one time.

Dutch society during this period were very conscious of material excesses and the attire in portraits reflected this - black was a predominant colour for clothing (although it has to be said that this was not the dominant colour for everyday apparel) and artists fine-tuned their depiction of the wide array of black fabrics and textures. Black may have been dominant but clothing was far from boring and was often intricately detailed, had various sumptuous fabrics often contrasting against each other and with all manner of designs and patterns. The attire was completed with elaborate lace collars, varying considerably within certain patterns (and were prized possessions and were often listed in inventories of estates) depending on current trends. These elaborate collars were a costly and immensely frivolous luxury often requiring hours to construct and could only be worn once before they lost their shape.

The Dutch Golden Age of painting was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. Dutch explorers charted new territory and settled abroad. Trade by the Dutch East-India Company thrived, and war heroes from the naval battles were decorated and became national heroes. During this time, The Dutch Old Masters began to prevail in the art world, creating a depth of realistic portraits of people and life in the area that has hardly been surpassed. The Golden Age painters depicted the scenes that their discerning new middle class patrons wanted to see. This new wealth from merchant activities and exploration combined with a lack of church patronage, shifted art subjects away from biblical genres. Still life’s of items of everyday objects, landscapes, and seascapes reflecting the naval and trade power that the Republic enjoyed were popular.

Michiel Van Mierevelt was the son of a goldsmith, he was born in Delft and was a pupil of artist Anthonie Blocklandt of Utrecht. After a two-year apprenticeship, he returned to his native Delft. From 1590 he devoted himself entirely to the art of portraiture. In 1607, he was appointed official painter to the Prince of Orange-Nass

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