Frans van Mieris the Elder (16 April 163512 March 1681), was a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

and portrait painter. The leading member of a Leiden family of painters, his sons

Jan Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

(1660–1690) and

Willem Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gui ...

(1662–1747) and his grandson

Frans van Mieris the Younger Frans van Mieris, the younger (24 November 168922 October 1763) was a Dutch painter. He was born in Leiden, the son of Willem van Mieris, and also followed the traditions of his grandfather, Frans's studio. Willem bequeathed his painting roo ...

(1689–1763) were also accomplished genre painters.

Biography

Frans was born and died in

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

, where his father Jan Bastiaans van Mieris was a goldsmith, carver of rubies and diamond setter.