This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.

Overview: 34 paintings by 17th-century Dutch artist Frans van Mieris the Elder were presented chronologically in this first retrospective exhibition of the artist's work. Included were genre scenes, portraits and self-portraits, allegories, and history paintings representing the range of Van Mieris' oeuvre. The paintings were on loan from public and private collections in Europe and the United States.

A 12-minute introductory film about Frans van Mieris, in Dutch with English subtitles, was shown continuously in the West Building Art Information Room. The film was produced by Bobcat TV for the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis.

Opening-day lectures were given by Frederik J. Duparc, director, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, and Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., curator of northern baroque paintings, National Gallery of Art. In honor of the exhibition, the Egidius Kwartet performed vocal music by Dutch composers at a Sunday concert on March 19.

Organization: The exhibition was organized by the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Exhibition curators were Quentin Buvelot, curator, Mauritshuis, and Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., curator of northern baroque paintings, National Gallery of Art. The works were selected in consultation with Otto Naumann.

Sponsor: The exhibition in Washington was made possible by anonymous donors to the National Gallery of Art. It was supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The brochure was made possible by Sotheby's, New York, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. The film was supported by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Kaplan.

Image: Installation view of Amorous Intrigues and Painterly Refinement: The Art of Frans van Mieris, Photo by Rob Shelley, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Gallery Archives

Attendance: 66,690

Catalog: Frans van Mieris 1635–1681, compiled and edited by Quentin Buvelot. Zwolle: Waanders Publishers, 2005.

Brochure: Amorous Intrigues and Painterly Refinement: The Art of Frans van Mieris, by Margaret Doyle and Jephta Dullaart. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2006.

Other Venues: Royal Picture Gallery, Mauritshuis, The Hague, October 1, 2005–January 15, 2006