Frans van Mieris the Elder (16 April 163512 March 1681), was a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

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and portrait painter. The leading member of a Leiden family of painters, his sons

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(1660–1690) and

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(1662–1747) and his grandson Frans van Mieris the Younger (1689–1763) were also accomplished genre painters.

Biography

Frans was born and died in

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, where his father Jan Bastiaans van Mieris was a goldsmith, carver of rubies and diamond setter.