De Schilderkunst (Pictura)

A woman leans dreamily with her elbow on a book while holding a stage mask. Standing on the table is a classical statue of the god Apollo, next to a palette with brushes. Behind the woman an empty canvas rests against an easel. All these objects can only mean one thing: this woman personifies Pictura, the art of painting.

Frans van Mieris was long believed to have made this picture, but it later turned out to be the work of his son and pupil Jan. Like his father, Jan was a talented painter of different materials, as is evident from Pictura’s magnificent gleaming dress.