Dutch painter

Delft circa 1584 – 1642 Delft

 

Rare portrait and genre scene painter.

 

Possibly pupil of Michiel van Mierevelt at the very start of the 1600s. Van der Vliet stayed in the workshop of van Mierevelt after his training as a brilliant assistant. It was only in 1615 that he was inscribed as an independent painter in the Painter’s Guild of Saint Luke in Delft. His earliest dated painting is from 1624.

 

Van der Vliet was a descendant of a prominent family from Delft. He married twice: 

- in 1618, but he lost his first wife soon;

- in 1636.

 

Van der Vliet was one of the most important portrait painters in Delft, next to Michiel van Miervelt (1567 – 1641).

In 1633, van der Vliet and Jacob Vosmaer became the heads of the Painter’s Guild of Delft.

 

Our painter started his career painting genre scenes, but he became better-known for his portraits. 

 

His nephew, Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet, studied painting under him. He specialised in church interior painting.

 

 

Our portrait must originally have been a bit longer.

According to Fred Meijer it is an early portrait by van der Vliet, dating already from the second half of the 1620s. That makes it one of the earliest known portraits by our painter.

 

Michiel van Mierevelt was one of the best and most popular Dutch portrait painters. Willem van der Vliet has been one of his prominent assistants, until Michiel’s son, Pieter, took that place. 

It is striking to see the high quality of the painting technique and careful execution of the portraits of van der Vliet. 

 

Half of the sitters of the portraits of van der Vliet have been identified. Our lady sadly not.

 

 

Because it is such a high-quality portrait, both in the depiction of this lady’s personality as of her precious black clothing and magnificent lace.