Diederik Baron van Leyden van Vlaardingen (1695-1764). Burgomaster of Leiden, with his Wife Sophia Dina de Rovere and their Sons Pieter, Jan en Adriaan Pompejus 1728

Willem van Mieris painted this group portrait in oil, showing the family of Diederik Baron van Leyden van Vlaardingen. The canvas employs a symmetrical arrangement, framing the subjects within classical architecture and verdant landscape. The composition divides the family in a hierarchical order, with the Burgomaster standing assertively and his wife seated in a nurturing pose. The visual tension in the painting is fascinating. The artist challenges the classical symmetry through subtle disruptions, such as the varied poses of the sons and the asymmetrical drape of the curtain. These choices destabilize a straightforward reading of family harmony and status. The floral arrangement at the bottom right, while beautiful, seems almost arbitrarily placed, adding to a sense of unease. Ultimately, the painting's engagement with classical form, while attempting to showcase the family's elevated status, reveals a complex interplay of power, representation, and perhaps even the subtle anxieties of its time. The painting remains a study in contrasts, inviting endless interpretations of its subjects and their world.