Description
Frans van der MIJN (MYN) (Düsseldorf, 1719 - London, 1783) Young Shepherdess with Red Hat, circa 1755 Oil on oval copper. On the reverse, incised, 228 cg. 13.4 x 11 cm (oval) 23.5 x 16.5 cm (with frame) 19th century frame in chased and gilded bronze, surmounted by two cherubs holding the arms of Spain (apart: 1 and 4 of Castile, 2 and 3 of Leon, enté en pointe of Granada, sur-le-tout of Anjou). On the circumference, an inscription: Souvenir d'Escurial. Son of Heroman van der Mijn, Frans like his father had a career divided between London and the Netherlands. As a portraitist of high society in Amsterdam as well as in London, everyone praised the resemblance of his models, the beauty of his draperies and the excellence of his fantasy figures. Our copper belongs to the latter category and can be dated to the early 1760s. With her small pointed nose, her ruddy mouth and her large eyes, the young woman is a pastoral figure of a gallant party. The resemblance is striking with the idealized female portraits in grisaille (oils and pastels) that were one of Frans van der Mijn's specialties upon his return to England. The same elegant clothes trimmed with ribbons, delicate features, slightly upturned noses, full cheeks, large scrutinizing eyes, the folds that mark the long necks of the young women whom the artist likes to depict in profile, as if they were turning around to see the viewer out of the corner of their eyes, modest and coquettish at the same time. In our copper, whose small size allowed for the most daring compositions, the young lady looks over her shoulder without this contortion disturbing the perfectness of her figure. Her wide-brimmed hat plunges part of her face into the shadows like some of Nicolas Lancret's paintings, making her as mysterious as she is charming. Above all, there is here the subtle and skilful play of light that always enlivens Van der Mijn's purely fanciful figures, making them almost more alive than his models, for whom propriety imposes the strictest of postures. White and bright, the sun's rays illuminate the brim of the hat with a clear line, clarify the bridge of the nose, warm the shadow on the face, spread over the cheek, slip into the depths of the brown irises and scatter over the silks and muslins in small, clear and rapid strokes. This work is an amusement, a pleasure, a little folly of a renowned portraitist. Alexandra Zvereva
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Frans van der MIJN (MYN) (Düsseldorf, 1719 - London, 1783) Young Shepherdess with Red Hat, circa 1755 Oil on oval copper. On the reverse, incised, 228 cg. 13.4 x 11 cm (oval) 23.5 x 16.5 cm (with frame) 19th century frame in chased and gilded bronze, surmounted by two cherubs holding the arms of Spain (apart: 1 and 4 of Castile, 2 and 3 of Leon, enté en pointe of Granada, sur-le-tout of Anjou). On the circumference, an inscription: Souvenir d'Escurial. Son of Heroman van der Mijn, Frans like his father had a career divided between London and the Netherlands. As a portraitist of high society in Amsterdam as well as in London, everyone praised the resemblance of his models, the beauty of his draperies and the excellence of his fantasy figures. Our copper belongs to the latter category and can be dated to the early 1760s. With her small pointed nose, her ruddy mouth and her large eyes, the young woman is a pastoral figure of a gallant party. The resemblance is striking with the idealized female portraits in grisaille (oils and pastels) that were one of Frans van der Mijn's specialties upon his return to England. The same elegant clothes trimmed with ribbons, delicate features, slightly upturned noses, full cheeks, large scrutinizing eyes, the folds that mark the long necks of the young women whom the artist likes to depict in profile, as if they were turning around to see the viewer out of the corner of their eyes, modest and coquettish at the same time. In our copper, whose small size allowed for the most daring compositions, the young lady looks over her shoulder without this contortion disturbing the perfectness of her figure. Her wide-brimmed hat plunges part of her face into the shadows like some of Nicolas Lancret's paintings, making her as mysterious as she is charming. Above all, there is here the subtle and skilful play of light that always enlivens Van der Mijn's purely fanciful figures, making them almost more alive than his models, for whom propriety imposes the strictest of postures. White and bright, the sun's rays illuminate the brim of the hat with a clear line, clarify the bridge of the nose, warm the shadow on the face, spread over the cheek, slip into the depths of the brown irises and scatter over the silks and muslins in small, clear and rapid strokes. This work is an amusement, a pleasure, a little folly of a renowned portraitist. Alexandra Zvereva
