M1

MIE

1599.

IEL (JAN), called Giovanni della Vite, a moft eminent painter, was born in Flanders in He was at firft a disciple of Gerard Seghers, in whofe school he made a diftinguithe 1 figure; but he quitted that artift, and went to Italy, to improve himfelf in defign, and to obtain a more extensive knowledge of the Teveral branches of his art. At Rome he particularly fludied and copied the works of the Caracci and Corregio; and was admitted into the academy of Andrea Sacchi, where he gave fuch evident proofs of extraordinary merit and genius, that he was invited by Andrea to affift him in a grand defign which he had already begun. But Miel, through fome difguft, re. jected thofe elevated fubjects which at first had engaped his attention, refused the friendly propofal of Sacchi, and chose to imitate the ftyle of Bamoccio, as having more of that nature which pleased his own imagination. His general fubjects were huntings, carnivals, gypfies, beggars, paftoral feenes, and converfations; of thofe he compofed his eafel-pictures, which are the fineft of his performances. But he alfo paint ed history in a large fize in fresco, and in oil; which, though they feem to want elevation of defign, and a greater degree of grace in the heads, yet appear fupe rior to what might be expected from a painter of fuch low fubjects as he generally was fond of reprefenting. His pictures of huntings are particularly admired: the figures and animals of every fpecies being defigned with uncommon spirit, nature, and truth. The tranfparence of his colouring, and the clear tints of his fkies, enliven his compofitions; nor are his paintings in any degree inferior to thofe of Bamboccio either in their force or luftre. His large works are not fo much to be commended for the goodness of the defign as for the expreffion and colouring; but it is in his fmall pieces that the pencil of Micl appears in its greatest delicacy and beauty. The fingular merit of this mafter recommended him to the favour of Charles Emanuel duke of Savoy, who invited him to his court, where he appointed Miel his principal painter, and afterwards honoured him with the order of St Mauritius, and made him a prefent of a crofs fet with diamonds of a great value, as a particular mark of his efteem. He died in 1664.

MIERIS (Francis), the Old, a justly celebrated painter, was born at Leyden in 1635; and was at first placed under the direction of Abraham Toorne Vliet, one of the best defigners of the Low Countries, and afterwards entered himself as a difciple with Gerard Douw. In a fhort time he far furpaffed all his companions, and was by his mafter called the prince of his difciples. His manner of painting filks, velvets, ftuffs, or carpets, was fo fingu. lar, that the different kinds and fabric of any of them

VOL. XII. Part I.

MIE might eafily be distinguished. His pictures are rarely Mieris to be feen, and as rarely to be fold; and when they are, the purchase is extremely high, their intrinfic va lue being fo inconteftably great. Befide portraits, his general fubjects were converfations, perfons performing on nufical inftruments, patients attended by the apothecary or doctor, chymilts at work, mercers fhops, and fuch like; and the ufual valuation he fet on his pictures was estimated at the rate of a ducat an hour. The fineft portrait of this matter's hand is that which he painted for the wife of Cornelius Plaats, which is faid to be ftill preferved in the family, although very great fums have been offered for it. In the poffeffion of the fame gentleman was another picture of Mieris, reprefenting a lady fainting, and a phyfician applying the remedies to relieve her. For that performance he was paid (at his ufual rate of a ducat an hour) fo much money as amounted to fifteen hundred florins when the picture was finished. The grand duke of Tufcany wilhed to purchase it, and offered three thousand florins for it, but the offer was not accepted. However, that prince procured feveral of his pictures, and they are at this day an ornament to the Florentine collection. One of the moft curious of them is a girl holding a candle in her hand, and it is accounted ineftimable. This painter died in 1681.

MIERIS (John), fon of the former, was born at Leyden in 1660, and learned the art of painting from his father. The young artift unhappily was feverely afflicted with the gravel and flone; and by thofe complaints was much hindered in the progrefs of his ftudies. But, after the death of his father, he travelled to Germany, and from thence to Florence, where the fame of his father's merit procured him a moft honourable reception from the grand duke, who, when he faw fome of his paintings, endeavoured to retain him in his fervice. But Mieris politely declined it, and proceeded to Rome, where his great abilities were well known before his arrival, and his works were exceedingly coveted. were exceedingly coveted. In that city his malady increased; yet at the intervals of ease he continued to work with his ufual application, till the violence of his diflemper ended his days in 1690, when he was only thirty years old. He was allowed to have been as eminent for painting in a large fize as his father had been for his works in fmall.

MIERIS (William), called the Young Mieris, was brother to the former, and born at Leyden in 1662. During the life of his father, he made a remarkable progrefs: but, by being deprived of his director when he was only arrived at the age of nineteen, he had recourfe to nature, as the most instructive guide; and by ftudying with diligence and judgment to imitate her, he approached near to the merit of his father. At

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firit