"Portrait Of A Young Girl Holding A Bouquet Of Flowers"
Born in Amsterdam, Herman van der Mijn (or Myn) was not a "Dutch painter" strictly speaking: often riddled with debt and the father of many children, many of whom became painters in their turn, he travelled a lot and never settled in one specific place. He is even mentioned in Paris, where he was, between 1718 and 1721, in the service of the Duke of Orléans. But it was mainly in London, where he stayed between 1722 and 1735 and then between 1738 and 1741, that he made his career. Herman van der Mijn was first trained by Ernst Stuven in floral compositions. A painter of history and genre scenes, he specialised in portraiture from 1717 and had a varied clientele in England and Holland. In particular, he painted William IV, Prince of Orange, and his wife, Princess Anne (eldest daughter of King George II of England). He also painted the portrait of George II's own wife, Queen Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach. Our young girl corresponds perfectly to the portraits delivered by the artist: the model, slightly three-quarters, looks at the viewer. The bouquet of orange blossoms, symbol of an upcoming marriage but also of beauty capable of lasting, recalls the youth and virginity of the model as much as the painter's talents for floral arrangements. Herman van der Mijn is still very little known in France, where his works rarely go on sale. This portrait therefore pays him a very beautiful tribute. Details: - Oil on canvas. - Sold framed, oval frame. - Restorations.