playing card F4: Edgar Degas: Portrait of Count Lepic and his daughters (1870)
April 14, 2020
playing card C1: Govaert Flinck: Landscape with an Obelisk (1638)
April 14, 2020
Frans Van Mieris: A Cavalier (1659)
completed
stolen
longest side (cm)
est. value ($ mill.)
Frans Van Mieris
The Dutch portrait, history and genre painter Frans van Mieris created the oil painting “A Cavalier” between 1657 and 1659. It is assumed that it is a self-portrait. A distinction is made between Frans van Mieris the Elder and his grandson, Frans van Mieris the Younger (Frans van Mieris II.). Frans van Mieris the Elder was born in Leiden, Belgium, where he also died. His paintings, the longest sides of which mostly do not exceed 35 cm, mainly show situations, snapshots and portraits of the wealthy upper classes in Holland and Belgium.
Van Mieris' art robbery A cavalier (self-portrait)
His oil painting “A Cavalier (Self-Portrait)” has the dimensions 20 x 16 cm. The artwork is a gift from 1993 by art collector James Fairfax to the Gallery of New South Wales. "A Cavalier" was stolen from the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney in June 2007 and has not appeared since then. The incident occurred during regular visitor times on Sunday, June 10, 2007. The thief stole the painting by Frans van Mieris and disappeared. Since the work of art with its dimensions of 20 x 16 cm is very small, the robber probably hid it undetected under his jacket and moved away from the museum like a regular visitor.
Famous art robbery in Australia: Frans van Mieri's “A Cavalier (Self-Portrait)” was stolen in 2007. It hasn't reappeared since.
Van Mieri's masterpiece is still missing
The painting is worth around one million euros. According to the Sydney Morning Herald of May 20, 2012, the search for the painting has been discontinued. The counterpart to this artwork is called "Young lady with a feather fan ready to go out" and it has the same dimensions. The lady is probably the wife of Cunera von der Cock, who married Mieris in 1657. The equivalent hangs in the Kunstmuseum Basel. Will you ever be able to admire both works of art as a counterpart again?