3. Jan Miel : from Rome to Turin
Artworks, patrons and social networks
Francesca Romana Gaja
This paper aims to examine all the works of Jan Miel (1599–1664) [1], including his history paintings and the bambocciate, in order to understand fully the extent to which artistic ideas were exchanged between Roman visual culture and Flemish genre painting in the 17th century.1 When his entire œuvre is considered Miel is revealed to have been a complex and versatile artist and not a simple imitator of the style of Pieter van Laer (1599–1642), as seen by Giovanni Battista Passeri, or of the style of Andrea Sacchi (1599–1661).2 As this paper shows, these accusations were unfounded and reflect what was going on in the art market of 17th-century Rome. Contemporary sources reveal that the pittori professori (the masters of history painting), such as Sacchi, Francesco Albani (1578–1660), Guido Reni (1575–1642) and Salvator Rosa (1615–1673), were enraged by the high prices and successful circulation of bambocciate paintings, which could reach prices that were on a par with the history paintings they created.3 As will become clear, from the start of his stay in Italy Miel developed his own personal style, blending the features of Northern art with the latest developments of the Roman art scene, as exemplified by his collaboration with Sacchi and Pietro da Cortona (1597–1669), two of the most important painters of the mid-17th century.
Miel’s ample artistic production, which included a range of different media and techniques, from canvas to copper, fresco and etching, reveals a remarkable ability to adapt to his patrons’ requests and tastes, which in turn meant that Miel’s work had a strong position in the Roman art market. Key to Miel’s success was his social network, which included members of the Genoese Raggi and Franzone families. At the same time, Miel did not neglect his Flemish roots, as shown by his affiliation with the confraternities of San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi and Santa Maria in Campo Santo Teutonico.4 All these connections would come together in the work that Miel produced for the Chapel of St Lambert in the church of Santa Maria dell’Anima, discussed below.
Through the examination of a selection of works, including some unpublished and lesser-known examples, this paper will emphasize the artistic exchange between Miel and the Roman milieu. This is followed by a consideration of Miel’s role as court painter to the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel II (1634–1675), from 1658 until his death in 1664, which represents another chapter of stylistic exchange between his by then established and composite artistic language and the cultural context of Piedmont.
Cover image
Jan Miel
Soldiers resting near ruins in an Italianate landscape, dated 1659
1
Anoymous
Portrait of Jan Miel (1599-1664), c. 1745
paper, copper engraving, etching 117 x 84 mm
Collection RKD, The Hague
Notes
1 I am deeply grateful to Rieke van Leeuwen and Gert Jan van der Sman for accepting my paper at the International Symposium held in The Hague on 12 December 2019 and for the opportunity further to develop my research here. This article anticipates my forthcoming book on Jan Miel. Special thanks go to Gelsomina Spione, who first suggested that I should study Miel. Finally I want to thank Rebecca Gill, who patiently read and corrected the text.
2 Passeri 1772, p. 224–225.
3 Briganti 1983, p. 4, 15.
4 Miel became a member of the confraternity of Santa Maria in Campo Santo Teutonico in 1648. In the previous year he was registered in the confraternity of San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi: Hoogewerff 1913, vol. 2, p. 141, 398.