Portret van Caecilia van Beresteyn (1589-1661)

About this artwork

? By descent through the families Briell, De Jonge van Ellemeet, Van Citters to Jonkheer Jacob de Witte van Citters (1817-76), The Hague; or ? by descent through the families De Witte, Ockerse, Van Gelre, De Witte van Elkerzee to Jonkheer Jacob de Witte van Citters (1817-76), The Hague; first recorded in the collection of the De Witte van Citters family, in the library of Kasteel Popkensburg, in the early 19th century;{RAU, PA 26, Des Tombe archive, no. 843, ‘Getekende plattegrond van ruimte waa...

Art Historical Context

This elegant portrait by Michiel Jansz vanerevelt captures Caecilia van Berestn (1589–1661), a noblewoman from a prominent Dutch family, painted 1640 when she was in her early fifties. Van Mierevelt, a portraitist of the Dutch Golden Age, was renowned for his precise, lifelike depictions of the elite, blending meticulous detail with a sense of dignified restraint. Rendered in oil on panel—a favored medium for its smooth surface and durability, ideal for intimate, jewel-like works—this 70.8 × 60 cm piece exemplifies his mastery of subtle textures, from the sheen of fabrics to the soft modeling of flesh tones. The painting's historical journey adds layers of intrigue, tracing its descent through illustrious families like Briell, De Jonge van Ellemeet, and Van Citters, before entering the De Witte van Citters collection at Kasteel Popkensburg in the early 19th century. Bequeathed to the Rijksmuseum in 1876 by Jonkheer Jacob de Witte van Citters, it remained in family usufruct until 1903, reflecting the enduring prestige of such heirlooms in Dutch aristocratic circles. Today, at the Rijksmuseum, this portrait offers a window into 17th-century Netherlands, where portraiture celebrated lineage and status amid the Republic's prosperity. Van Mierevelt's sober realism invites us to ponder Caecilia's life across turbulent times, from the Eighty Years' War to the Golden Age's cultural bloom.

About the Artist

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt · 1567–1641

Son of the goldsmith Jan Michielsen van Miereveldt and a pupil (when he was 12 years old) of Antonio Blocklandt (known as Montfort) in Utrecht and later of Willem Willemsz. It is very difficult to distinguish his work from the innumerable copies of his paintings that he allowed to be made, even sometimes signing them with his own name. Basically a portrait painter, he also painted historical and ...