Johannes Mytens
Encyclopedia
Johannes Mytens or Jan Mijtens (circa 1614 – 24 December 1670) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Mytens was born in The Hague
. According to Houbraken, Johannes (Jan) Mijtens was trained by Anthony van Opstal and later by Nicolas van der Horst. Both of his 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 mixed up his notes on this artist with his notes on Jan Meyssens
, the engraver. This Jan Mytens did not have a son Cornelis who was a good engraver. That was Jan Meyssens (and the Meyssens lived in Antwerp, not the Hague).
Mytens became a member of the The Hague Guild of Saint Luke
in 1642 and helped set up the Confrerie Pictura
. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialized in portraiture, genre pieces, and historical allegories. 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.
In his 1652 painting of the family of Mr. Willem van den Kerckhoven, the youngest son Pellegrom (leaning against his father's leg) was added later in 1655 (he was not yet born in 1652). The five angels depict other children who died in infancy.
Mytens was born in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. According to Houbraken, Johannes (Jan) Mijtens was trained by Anthony van Opstal and later by Nicolas van der Horst. Both of his uncles, Isaac Mijtens and Daniël Mijtens
Daniël Mijtens
Daniël Mijtens , known in England as Daniel Mytens the Elder, was a Dutch portrait painter who spent the central years of his career working in England.-Biography:...
, were painters, and his son Cornelis became an engraver. This statement has often been repeated by various art historians, but unfortunately, Houbraken mixed up his notes on this artist with his notes on Jan Meyssens
Jan Meyssens
Joannes, Jean, or Jan Meyssens , was a Flemish Baroque painter, engraver, and printer.-Biography:According to the RKD he was born in Brussels, but moved to Antwerp at an early age, where he became master of the Guild of St. Luke in 1640. He married Anna Jacobs . He influenced Theodoor van Merlen...
, the engraver. This Jan Mytens did not have a son Cornelis who was a good engraver. That was Jan Meyssens (and the Meyssens lived in Antwerp, not the Hague).
Mytens became a member of the The Hague Guild of Saint Luke
Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was identified by John of Damascus as having painted the...
in 1642 and helped set up the Confrerie Pictura
Confrerie Pictura
The Confrerie Pictura was a more or less academic club of artists founded in 1656 in The Hague, by local art painters, who were unsatisfied by the Guild of Saint Luke there.-History:The guild of St...
. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialized in portraiture, genre pieces, and historical allegories. 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.
In his 1652 painting of the family of Mr. Willem van den Kerckhoven, the youngest son Pellegrom (leaning against his father's leg) was added later in 1655 (he was not yet born in 1652). The five angels depict other children who died in infancy.