Portrait of a lady in an interior, by Willem van Mieris (Leiden, 1662-1747) and dating to 1694. The painting is in the Leiden Collection, New York.First and foremost, may 2024 be a peaceful year! After opening on Monday 15th, the first week back at the TRC has been very stimulating. A quick survey of some of the events and activities will give you a better idea of what can happen at the TRC!
We recently announced the Turkish henna party being held by the Leiden-based Stichting Güney at the TRC on Sunday, the 28th January. Its going to be a busy event as already over 40 people have registered to attend!
On a totally different subject: The Leiden Collection, New York, contacted us about the identification of lace in 17th century Dutch paintings, in particular the portrait of a lady in an interior by the Leiden painter, Willem van Mieris (1662-1747) and dating to 1694.
The Leiden painter, Willem van Mieris, 1662-1747, portrayed by his son, Frans van Mieris. Private collection.One of my colleagues, bobbin lace teacher, Gon Homburg, was able to identify the lace as that of Venetian Gros Point, also known as Venetian Raised Needle Lace (or possibly an imitation), a form of needle lace very popular among the 17th and 18th century elite in western Europe. It’s really interesting being able to add more details to paintings, about textiles and accessories, and seeing lace being used both as an object (decoration of a sleeve cuff) and as a symbol (status and wealth). It was also nice to emphasise the Leiden connection.