Lot Essay
As pointed out by Naumann, Frans van Mieris was deeply interested in chiaroscuro effects during the last decade of his life as is indicated by the Sleeping Courtesan of circa 1669 in the Uffizi (Naumann, op.cit., II, no. 75, with ill.), then by the Woman writing a Letter of 1670 (with D. Koetser, Zurich, circa 1981; Naumann, op.cit., II, no. 82, with ill.) and the present lot. In these paintings Van Mieris shows a renewed interest in the idiom of Gerard Dou, in which the candle-light threw reflections on shiny materials. Naumann describes this development as "an increasing concern for porcelain-like smoothness", a concern which foreshadows the work of Godfried Schalcken (Naumann, op.cit., p. 79).
As pointed out by Sluijter (op.cit., p. 135), the theme of a woman writing a letter was probably inspired by Gerard ter Borch, who frequently depicted the subject, see, for example, ter Borch's painting of circa 1655 in the Mauritshuis (Sluijter, op.cit., p. 135, note 4). As pointed out by Naumann (op.cit., I, p. 110), the depiction of letter writing in Dutch painting of the 17th century had an amorous, flirtatious connotation with an undercurrent of temptation (see for this interpretation E. de Jongh a.o., Tot Lering en Vermaak, exhibition catalogue Amsterdam 1976, cat.nos. 25, 39 and 71).
The first recorded owner of the present lot, the politician François Tronchin (see under Provenance) was a close friend of the artist Jean-Etienne Liotard. The latter probably stimulated him to visit the Netherlands, which he did on several occasions; this led to his forming an important collection of Dutch 17th century masters (see R. Loche, op.cit., pp. IX and 176). It is not know where the present lot was purchased; two possibilites have been suggested: the Van Zwieten sale on 12 April 1741 and the J. van der Marck sale on 25 August 1773. An early manuscript inventory of the Tronchin collection, drawn up in 1761, is in the Archducal archives in Carlsruhe; it was to have been published by M. Benisovich in 1953 (see under Literature). The manuscript inventory was probably that used for the sale of the entire collection of 95 pictures to Catherine the Great, for which Diderot acted as agent
See colour illustration (actual size)
As pointed out by Sluijter (op.cit., p. 135), the theme of a woman writing a letter was probably inspired by Gerard ter Borch, who frequently depicted the subject, see, for example, ter Borch's painting of circa 1655 in the Mauritshuis (Sluijter, op.cit., p. 135, note 4). As pointed out by Naumann (op.cit., I, p. 110), the depiction of letter writing in Dutch painting of the 17th century had an amorous, flirtatious connotation with an undercurrent of temptation (see for this interpretation E. de Jongh a.o., Tot Lering en Vermaak, exhibition catalogue Amsterdam 1976, cat.nos. 25, 39 and 71).
The first recorded owner of the present lot, the politician François Tronchin (see under Provenance) was a close friend of the artist Jean-Etienne Liotard. The latter probably stimulated him to visit the Netherlands, which he did on several occasions; this led to his forming an important collection of Dutch 17th century masters (see R. Loche, op.cit., pp. IX and 176). It is not know where the present lot was purchased; two possibilites have been suggested: the Van Zwieten sale on 12 April 1741 and the J. van der Marck sale on 25 August 1773. An early manuscript inventory of the Tronchin collection, drawn up in 1761, is in the Archducal archives in Carlsruhe; it was to have been published by M. Benisovich in 1953 (see under Literature). The manuscript inventory was probably that used for the sale of the entire collection of 95 pictures to Catherine the Great, for which Diderot acted as agent
See colour illustration (actual size)