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Portrait of Ernst Casimir (1573-1632), Count of Nassau-Dietz by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of Jacob Cats (1577-1660) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Prince Mauritz of Nassau (1567–1625) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Frederick, Count Palatine (1596–1632) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Maurice of Nassau (1567–1625), Prince of Orange by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Sir Thomas Hesilrige (1564–1629), 1st Bt by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of an Officer (said to be Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of a Man with a Maltese cross by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of a gentleman by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Portrait of a man by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

Where to See Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

53 museums worldwide

About Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

Dutch · 1566–1641

the Dutch Republic's official face-maker, producing ten thousand portraits before Rembrandt's generation arrived

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Portrait of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
Museums53
Countries14
Most worksRijksmuseum, Rijksmuseum · 24 works
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Where to see Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

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Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt prints

Hand-finished archival prints from Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's body of work.

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3 more museums hold works by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt with smaller collections, not listed here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I see Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's work?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt was a prolific portraitist; many examples of his work are held in museum collections today. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, owns several paintings by Mierevelt, including portraits of Hugo Grotius, Prince Maurits, and Ambrosius Spinola. The Mauritshuis in The Hague holds his portrait of Prince Frederick Henry. Other Dutch museums with works by Mierevelt include the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Outside the Netherlands, Mierevelt's paintings can be found in numerous European collections. The National Portrait Gallery, London, possesses portraits of Sir Dudley Carleton and Elizabeth of Bohemia. The Louvre in Paris has his portrait of Pierre Jeannin. The Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen holds a portrait of King Christian IV. Examples of his portraiture are also in the collections of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Many other museums and galleries may hold his work; check their online catalogues for details.
  • What should I know about Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's prints?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1566-1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, principally active as a portraitist. He produced a large number of portraits, and many were later circulated as prints. Mierevelt's painted portraits often exist in multiple painted versions, sometimes produced by the artist himself, or by his workshop. Similarly, his painted portraits became the basis for numerous prints executed by various printmakers. These prints after Mierevelt's paintings helped to disseminate his images to a wider audience. Several printmakers are known to have worked after Mierevelt's paintings. Examples include Willem Jacobsz. Delff (Mierevelt's son-in-law), Christoffel van Sichem, and others. These prints vary in size and technique, including engravings and woodcuts. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds a substantial collection of prints after Mierevelt, providing a good resource for studying their range and variety. These prints offer valuable insight into the portrait styles and fashions of the Dutch Golden Age. They also demonstrate the collaborative nature of artistic production at the time.
  • Why are Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's works important today?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641) was among the first generation of Dutch Golden Age portrait painters. Although he was active from around 1585, his career began around 1605. His official portrait of Stadholder Maurits of Nassau, made in 1607 for the Delft town hall, led to his appointment at the stadholder’s court. His success stemmed from a dry, precise style that appealed to Delft's prominent citizens and courtly circles in The Hague. His sitters included diplomats, senior army and naval officers, and government officials. Van Mierevelt had a large studio with assistants and pupils. Besides original portraits, his output includes replicas made for the market, depicting public figures such as stadholders, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, and Johannes Wttenbogaert. He primarily painted bust, half-length, and knee-length portraits of adults in standard poses. Group portraits and family groups are rare. His style is consistent in quality, unlike his contemporary Jan van Ravesteyn, whose work is more variable. Paulus Moreelse, a pupil of Van Mierevelt, adopted a more fluid style, while Cornelis van der Voort incorporated influences from Flemish masters. Van Mierevelt's portraits offer insight into the appearance of important Dutch figures of the early 17th century.
  • Michiel jansz van mierevelt?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt was the official face-maker of the early the Netherlands. He ran a productive workshop and was the leading portraitist in the country before Rembrandt's generation.
  • What techniques or materials did Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt use?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt was a prolific portrait painter who employed a somewhat dry, precise style. His output consists almost entirely of bust, half-length, and knee-length portraits of adults. Sitters are typically posed at a three-quarters angle, gazing out of the picture. Group portraits, family groups, and portraits of children are rare in his work. Van Mierevelt ran a large studio, employing assistants and pupils to help meet the demands of his clientele. This was especially true for the many replicas he produced of his own works. These replicas were made both on commission and for the open market, particularly those depicting public figures. His paintings were executed in oil on panel. The artist's technique involved applying modulated local colour to an underpainting. He used small palettes loaded with a limited range of colours suited to the passage he planned to complete at that stage.
  • Who did Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt influence?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, active from about 1585, achieved considerable success as a portraitist. His precise style appealed to Delft's citizens and the court at The Hague, attracting diplomats, officers, and government officials. Several artists are associated with his influence. Jan van Ravesteyn, based in The Hague, is often described as van Mierevelt's pupil, though this is debated. Their styles are similar, leading to confusion between their works. However, van Ravesteyn's style is considered less dry and more versatile. Paulus Moreelse of Utrecht was a pupil of van Mierevelt. After time in Italy, his portraits evolved towards a more fluid style, though some poses recall van Mierevelt and van Ravesteyn. Moreelse also contributed to the development of arcadian portraiture. Cornelis van der Voort in Amsterdam expanded upon earlier portraiture, establishing foundations for later developments. His compositions share similarities with van Mierevelt, van Ravesteyn, and Moreelse, but also reflect influence from Flemish masters. Jan Daemen Cool of Rotterdam probably trained with van Mierevelt.
  • Who influenced Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641) was among the first generation of Dutch portrait painters of the seventeenth century. His career began around 1605. It is believed that Jan Anthonisz van Ravesteyn (circa 1572-1657) was his pupil, though this is probably incorrect. Van Ravesteyn's style is similar to Van Mierevelt's; their works are still frequently confused. Van Ravesteyn's style is less dry, more plastic, and sometimes more flattering than that of his supposed teacher. Van Ravesteyn was also more versatile. Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638) of Utrecht was a pupil of Van Mierevelt. After spending some years in Italy, he returned to Utrecht around 1595. His portraits show a development towards a more fluid style than his teacher's, although the stately poses of some figures recall Van Mierevelt and Van Ravesteyn. Cornelis van der Voort (circa 1576-1624) was an innovator in portraiture. His compositions bear some similarity to those of his contemporaries Van Mierevelt, Van Ravesteyn, and Moreelse.
  • What is Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's most famous work?
    Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, mostly known for his portraits. He enjoyed a long and productive career, and he painted many prominent figures of his time. Mierevelt's most famous work is probably his portrait of Prince William of Orange, also known as William the Silent. He made several versions of this portrait, and they exist in many museum collections. The original was painted around 1607, a version now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Mierevelt's portraits are characterised by their realism and attention to detail. He captured the likenesses of his subjects with great accuracy. His style was popular among the Dutch elite, and he received commissions from many important people. These included members of the House of Orange, wealthy merchants, and other prominent citizens. His work helped to shape the visual identity of the Dutch Golden Age. He also trained many other portrait painters, including his son Pieter and his son-in-law Jacob Delff.

Sources

Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt's works across the following collections.

  1. [1] museum Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper Used for: museum holdings.
  2. [2] museum Cooper Gallery Used for: museum holdings.
  3. [3] museum Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection Used for: museum holdings.
  4. [4] museum Art Gallery of South Australia Used for: museum holdings.
  5. [5] museum Art Institute of Chicago Used for: museum holdings.
  6. [6] academic Britannica Editors, Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt Used for: biography.
  7. [7] book Ekkart, Rudolf E. O., author, Dutch portraits : the age of Rembrandt and Frans Hals Used for: biography.
  8. [8] book John Michael Montias, Vermeer and His Milieu _ A Web of Social History_1 Used for: biography.
  9. [9] book John Michael Montias, Vermeer and His Milieu _ A Web of Social History_2 Used for: biography.
  10. [10] museum Margaretha van Clootwijk (born about 1580/81, died 1662) Used for: museum holdings.
  11. [11] museum Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (signed by artist), Maurits, Prince of Orange (1567-1625) Used for: museum holdings.
  12. [12] museum Michiel van Miereveld Used for: biography.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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