Johannes Mytens (1614-1670) Portrait Of A Young Boy With A Yellow Silk Drape

Portrait of a young boy dressed in yellow silk drapery, attributed to the Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Mytens (1614-1670). The handsome sitter is depicted half-length within a mock laurel cartouche, his head half-turned, his gaze fixed on the viewer. With his pale skin, languid eyes, flushed cheeks, and full lips, he epitomizes mid-17th-century beauty. His blond hair, worn shoulder-length, is parted in the center that curves down either side of the skullcap, revealing his eyebrows and cheeks. Rather than wearing the contemporary fashion (jacket) of the period, the handsome young sitter is wearing a more general costume popular in paintings from the 1650s onward. The sitter's white shirt, with sleeves ballooning at the wrist, may suggest contemporary fashion, but his gold belt suggests he is wearing a tunic related to Persian dress. His voluminous cloak of shimmering yellow silk is more akin to a costume, and the timelessness of the hand gesture he uses to secure it across his chest gives it a certain gravitas, reminiscent of Roman costume. This pose has its origins in the work of Van Dyck, whose series of prints "Icones Principum Virorum" must have been widely admired and circulated. It is logical that an artist in Van Dyck's circle would favor a similar aesthetic of dramatic drapery and "costumes," rather than fashion. Johannes Mytens (1614-1670) Mytens was born in The Hague. According to Houbraken, Johannes (Jan) Mijtens trained under Anthony van Opstal and later Nicolas van der Horst. His two uncles, Isaac Mijtens and Daniël Mijtens, were painters, and his son Cornelis became an engraver. This statement has often been repeated by various art historians, but unfortunately, Houbraken confused his notes on this artist with those on the engraver Jan Meyssens. This Jan Mytens did not have a son, Cornelis, who was a good engraver. His son was Jan Meyssens (and the Meyssens lived in Antwerp, not The Hague). Mytens became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in The Hague in 1642 and helped found the Confrérie Pictura. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialized in portraiture, genre scenes, and historical allegories. Mytens was particularly skilled at depicting the clothing of wealthy Dutch people. According to the RKD, his students were Nicolaes Lissant, Gerard de Nijst, Adriaen Stalpert van der Wiele, Pouwels van de Velde, Andries Thijsz. de Wit, and Urbanus Talibert van Yperen. He died in The Hague. This high-quality, richly colored portrait is in excellent condition. Ready to hang in a high-quality gilt 'Lely' style frame. High-resolution images available on request. International delivery available. I am very grateful to Jacqui Ansell, costume historian and former senior lecturer at Christie's Education, for her detailed information and analysis on fashion and costume. Provenance: Private collection, Belgium. Panel: 70 cm x 65 cm. Framed: 86 cm x 74 cm.