Heroman van der Mijn

Panel flat, stable, uncradled and comprised of two panels brought together by a single vertical join. Retouches extend about an inch away from the join, but stop 3/4 of the way down and do not reach the bottom of the panel. These are the most significant retouches but others exist in small scattered brushstrokes in background and in figures. These are quite minor and appear to be applied very well as to the naked eye they are almost imperceptible. The varnish is fresh and the picture appears very strong to the naked eye. The retouches have been applied very well and do not appear to need adjustment. In a carved black frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This beautifully preserved panel depicts the Dutch allegory commonly known as the Hat of Freedom. Although the precise interpretation of the iconography remains uncertain, it is clear that in this scene the hat is used in conjunction with the liberation of a slave. The hat, held by the classically dressed woman in white, is placed upon the head of the captured man who kneels in acceptance of his newly received freedom. The motif was commonly used in the seventeenth century as a symbol of patriotic freedom. Here, the slave may simply represent a freed individual, or perhaps, the liberation of a town, city, or sovereign country. In 1575, the hat was shown by itself on a medallion with the inscription Liberatas Aurea, the Golden Freedom.¹ The eighteenth-century medallic historian Gerard van Loo explained that the emblem was drawn from Roman sources and that it alluded to the practice of shaving a slave’s head when he was emancipated.² Furthermore, the seventeenth century notion of the Hat of Freedom is likely connected to the ancient Roman "Phrygian cap", a soft pointed hat which originated in the Anatolian region of Phrygia. The Phyrgian cap, similar to the Hat of Freedom, came to signify liberation and its image is found in various antique sources.

Heroman van der Mijn worked for aristocratic patrons throughout Europe:  in Düsseldorf he (like Adriaaen van der Werff to whom this picture has in the past been given) worked for Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine; in London, van der Mijn worked for the English court; and in Holland, he worked for Prince William IV of Orange Nassau.

1.  S. Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1988, p. 70.
2.  G. van Loo, Beschrijuing der Nederlandsche Historiepenningen, The Hauge 1723-28.