Follower of Hieronymus van der Mij (Leiden, 1687 – 1761), Pair of bearers

Follower of Hieronymus van der Mij (Leiden, 1687 – 1761)

Pair of doorbells

(2) Oil on canvas, 46 x 39 cm

with frame 63 x 55 cm

The pendant in question, depicting a fruit seller and a wine merchant, can be attributed to the Dutch production of the 700th century, particularly sought after by the now established bourgeois class. Genre and market scenes were in vogue from the beginning of the 1687th century and continued to be popular until well into the XNUMXth century. The influence of an artist born in Leiden in XNUMX, Hieronymus van der Mij, can be recognized.

On 1 June 1686 Philip van der Mij (1654-1721) and Jannetje Rijs were married in Leiden. On 8 May of the following year their eldest son Hieronymus was born. Philip was a sculpture and vase founder and is known for some monumental garden vases designed by his fellow citizen Willem van Mieris. His son Hieronymus was trained by van Mieris as a painter. Philip, however, entered the University of Leiden at the age of 22 in 1710. Like Rembrandt a century before him, van der Mij was registered as a student in his hometown due to the privileges and exemptions associated with academic status, but never attended any courses. It took until 1724 before the artist entered the Leiden Guild of Saint Lucas, the same guild that his father had entered in 1702. In 1728 van der Mij bought a house in the Breestraat and lived there for the rest of his life, never marrying. In 1763 van der Mij became director of the Leiden Academy of Art, together with Frans van Mieris de jonge, son of Willem van Mieris. The artist died in 1761. His collection of prints and plaster sculptures was sold at auction six months after his death. His pupils were Pieter Catel, Johannes le Francq van Berkhey, Nicolaas Reyers, Nicolaas Rijnenburg and Hendrik van Velthoven. Like his patron, the talented van der Mij specialized in genre painting, but also painted portraits and historical scenes. He also designed tall vases which, presumably by his father, were cast in lead alloy. Hieronymus van der Mij also operated as an art dealer.

For a long time, van der Mij was mainly known as a portraitist, due to his work for the upper class and university professors. Eventually his talent for historical and genre painting was recognized. Due to recent publications, the reputation of van der Mij's work is changing.