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In the middle of the eighteenth century numerous native portraitists - in addition to a few foreigners - were active in Holland. They could be relied upon for truthful portrayals and good conversation pieces. The high level they could attain is seen in van der Mijn's small pendants of the wealthy timber merchant, great collector, and amateur artist Cornelis Ploos van Amstel and his wife Elizabeth Troost.
At the time, Amsterdam's art world was closely knit. Elizabeth's sister Sarah married Ploos van Amstel's brother. and George van der Mijn was a close friend of his patron who had contact with the foremost artists, collectors, and intellectuals of the city.
Van der Mijn portrait of Elizabeth Troost holding a small cup is as sympathetic as a Chardin lady. The touch in passages of the portrait is remarkable free and the colour harmonies are beautiful.
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