Martin Mijtens, the Elder

The Hague 1648 - Stockholm 1735

During the latter half of the 17th century, Sweden was both politically and militarily the ruler of the Baltic, but foreign trade was in the hands of the Dutch merchants. For the burghers of this small and prosperous nation, the Nordic countries represented a virgin realm of immense possibilities. Economically, 17th century Sweden can almost be regarded as a Dutch colony. The peripheral outback produced tar and hid rich ore deposits which were then exploited with the help of Dutch capital and expertise. Some of the wealthiest businessmen in Amsterdam, like Trip and de Geer, made their fortunes trading in Nordic raw materials. Apart from merchants and craftsmen, owners of iron works with their Walloon smiths moved from Holland to Sweden. As early as in the 16th century, the Swedish Court had imported its portrait painters from the Netherlands, but in the 17th century, Dutch artists started to arrive under private initiative. One of the most famous was Allaert van Everdingen whose depictions of the Nordic wilderness greatly fascinated the Dutch.

Martin Mijtens, a young painter from the Hague, belonged to a family of artists and craftsmen who did not hesitate to go to faraway countries to seek their fortune. Martin's great uncle had painted in Rome: uncle Daniel had become a notable portrait painter in England and father Isak had tried his luck in Portugal. Martin's brother Didrik and cousin Scipio had settled in Stockholm as merchants. They must have informed Martin of opportunities for a good painter in Sweden even amongst the Dutch settlement, so Martin left for Sweden in 1677.

Gradually, in addition to the Dutch, the Swedish gentry started to turn to Mijtens in their orders for portraits. In the parade portraits of the aristocracy, Mijtens adapted the Baroque manner in a way that closely resembled the style of Ehrenstrahl. Apparently, Mijtens had become acquainted with court Baroque even before his arrival in Sweden so the interaction with Ehrenstrahl could have been reciprocal. Mijtens never really threatened Ehrenstrahl's position as the country's leading artist. While Ehrenstrahl concentrated on royal portraits and sublime allegories, Mijtens devoted his time to painting the civil service aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. In his more modest paintings, Mijtens followed the attentive portrayal of Dutch Realism.

Mijtens painted his best works at the outset of his years in Sweden. As the decades passed and Mijtens lived in isolation from external stimuli, he started to paint more rigid and routine portraits. He lived to a very old age and was a teacher of many pupils. At the turn of the 18th century, the artists in Sweden were mainly either of German or Dutch origin, and while the Germans sought guidance from Ehrenstrahl, Mijtens taught the Dutch. The most remarkable of Mijtens' pupils was his son, Martin van Meytens the Younger, who, keeping up the family tradition, moved away to become an excellent imperial court painter in Vienna.