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Lot Essay
Jan van der Haer, the son of his namesake and Vincentia van der Does (lot 52), made an administrative career like his father, fulfilling a number of important public positions. Clerk of the Treasure of the States General as well as receiver of the passports. He first married Anna Philipsdr Doublet and, having become a widower, married Maria van Kinschot in 1607, the daughter of Justina Pijl and of Gaspar van Kinschot (1552-1603), who held numerous functions for the House of Orange, including Controller General of Prince Maurits. The couple moved within The Hague from the Suydeinde to a double house in the Schoolstraat. Jan and Maria had thirteen children.
Jan van der Haer and his wife are represented as bust-pieces against the backdrop of a stone wall. Van der Haer directs his cheerful gaze at the spectator. The slightly disorderly arranged locks of his grey hair and the playfully rendered spiky ends of his moustaches are painted with loose and light touches of the brush, lending the portrait a distinct spontaneity. He wears a black cape over a doublet with shoulder wings of black damask with floral patterns. The imposing white ruff with a fringed selvedge matches with his linen cuffs. Maria van Kinschot is fashionably dressed in black. Her intricate and elaborate lace-trimmed collar was the height of fashion during the first half of the 1630s as is her raised waistline, which is accentuated with a ribbon tied into a bow. Maria's bodice, skirt and sleeves are all trimmed with black lace. Her wealth and status is extensively illustrated by her jewellery: Three strings of pearls around her neck and a large brooch on her chest, to which a jewelled chain is attached, are prominently displayed.
Van Mierevelt's somewhat austere style is perfectly suited to the faithful portrayal of costume and accessories, which serve to underscore the prestige and prosperity of the sitters. The faces of the two sitters are, however, painted with a looser touch, typical for Van Mierevelt's later portraits. This deft handling of the brush is sometimes interpreted as the collaborative contribution of his grandson Jacob Delff II (1619 - 1661) whose activity in the Mierevelt studio would become increasingly apparent in the course of the late 1630s.1
We are grateful to Anita Jansen of the Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft, for confirming the attribution after inspection of the original paintings on 14 February 2013, and for pointing out the characteristics of the artist.
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1 See for this: R. Ekkart, A. Jansen et al., De portretfabriek van Michiel van Mierevelt (1566 -1641), 2011-2012, p. 45.
Jan van der Haer and his wife are represented as bust-pieces against the backdrop of a stone wall. Van der Haer directs his cheerful gaze at the spectator. The slightly disorderly arranged locks of his grey hair and the playfully rendered spiky ends of his moustaches are painted with loose and light touches of the brush, lending the portrait a distinct spontaneity. He wears a black cape over a doublet with shoulder wings of black damask with floral patterns. The imposing white ruff with a fringed selvedge matches with his linen cuffs. Maria van Kinschot is fashionably dressed in black. Her intricate and elaborate lace-trimmed collar was the height of fashion during the first half of the 1630s as is her raised waistline, which is accentuated with a ribbon tied into a bow. Maria's bodice, skirt and sleeves are all trimmed with black lace. Her wealth and status is extensively illustrated by her jewellery: Three strings of pearls around her neck and a large brooch on her chest, to which a jewelled chain is attached, are prominently displayed.
Van Mierevelt's somewhat austere style is perfectly suited to the faithful portrayal of costume and accessories, which serve to underscore the prestige and prosperity of the sitters. The faces of the two sitters are, however, painted with a looser touch, typical for Van Mierevelt's later portraits. This deft handling of the brush is sometimes interpreted as the collaborative contribution of his grandson Jacob Delff II (1619 - 1661) whose activity in the Mierevelt studio would become increasingly apparent in the course of the late 1630s.
We are grateful to Anita Jansen of the Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft, for confirming the attribution after inspection of the original paintings on 14 February 2013, and for pointing out the characteristics of the artist.
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