Frans Hals

Years of life:	1581 – 1666
Artist's students:	Adriaen van Ostade, Pieter Codde, Jan Miense Molenaer
Art Movement:	Baroque, Dutch Golden Age
Painting School:	Dutch School, Haarlem School, Guild of Saint Luke

Genre:	Portrait , Religious , Genre scenes
Country:	Netherlands
Century:	XVII

An artist fully formed in the Netherlands who never left Haarlem. After Rembrandt, he is the best painter in Dutch. Despite his success, he had debts (perhaps because he had eight children). He was a painter of portraits and group portraits (especially of the “Civic Guards,” all-male social clubs), as well as portraits of the inhabitants of the young Dutch Republic, who are always portrayed as rosy-cheeked, well-fed, well-dressed, happy, and prosperous. He also painted pictures of the genre, either of children or of peasants. Hulse’s work had a great influence on the art of the late twentieth century, when his style, having been totally out of fashion, was admired by young artists, including E. Manet.

The characters of his paintings, sometimes depicted in relaxed poses, are full of vitality and joy. He had a unique for his time painting technique: straight onto the canvas, with broad brushstrokes and bright colors. He was able to masterly command the expression of the eyes.

Frans Hals’s major works are Young Man with a Skull, 1626–28 (London: National Gallery); Mad Babs, c. 1629–30 (Berlin: Staatliche Museum); Portrait of Willem Coymans, 1645 (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art); Portrait of a Man, early 1650s (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art).

References:

Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.

Artworks:

The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company

1616

The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company • 1616
Portrait of Jacobus Hendricksz Zaffius

1611

Portrait of Jacobus Hendricksz Zaffius • 1611
Willem van Heythuysen, seated on a chair and holding a hunting crop

1634

Willem van Heythuysen, seated on a chair and holding a hunting crop • 1634
Merrymakers at Shrovetide

1616 - 1617

Merrymakers at Shrovetide • 1616 - 1617
Portrait of an unknown woman

1640

Portrait of an unknown woman • 1640
Mulatto

1627

Mulatto • 1627
Young Man and Woman in an Inn ("Yonker Ramp and His Sweetheart")

1623

Young Man and Woman in an Inn ("Yonker Ramp and His Sweetheart") • 1623
The company of Captain Reinier Reael and Lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz. Blaeuw, known as the ‘Meagre Company’

1633 - 1637

Hals was commissioned to paint this civic guard portrait in 1633. By 1636 the work was still unfinished and the commission went to Codde, who finished it a year later. Hals is said to have done the left side of the painting, up to the man in light clothes in the center, as well as many of the hands and faces. The rest is by Codde.

The company of Captain Reinier Reael and Lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz. Blaeuw, known as the ‘Meagre Company’ • 1633 - 1637
St. Matthew

1625

St. Matthew • 1625
Portrait of a Man in a Slouch Hat

between 1660 and 1666

Portrait of a Man in a Slouch Hat • between 1660 and 1666
Portrait of a Seated Man

1645

Portrait of a Seated Man • 1645
Portrait of Stephan Geraedts, Husband of Isabella Coymans

1650 - 1652

Portrait of Stephan Geraedts, Husband of Isabella Coymans • 1650 - 1652
Portrait of Pieter van den Broecke (1585-1640)

1633

Portrait of Pieter van den Broecke (1585-1640) • 1633
Portrait of a man, possibly Nicolaes Hasselaer

1630 - 1635

Portrait of a man, possibly Nicolaes Hasselaer • 1630 - 1635
Malle Babbe

1633

Malle Babbe • 1633
The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company in 1627

1627

The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company in 1627 • 1627
The Rommelpot Player

1618 - 1620

The Rommelpot Player • 1618 - 1620
Portrait of Catharina Hooft with her nurse

1619/20

Catharina as a child, by Frans Hals. In her hand, she holds a silver rattle with bells, a status symbol.

Portrait of Catharina Hooft with her nurse • 1619/20
Portrait of a Man Holding a Skull

1610 - 1614

Portrait of a Man Holding a Skull • 1610 - 1614
Portrait of Jacob Olycan (1596–1638)

1625

Portrait of Jacob Pietersz. Olycan at three-quarters-length. He stands, turned three quarters right, and looks to the left past the spectator. His right hand holds his hat. His left hand is pressed to his side. He wears a richly-embroided velvet costume with a short cloak and a lace-trimmed ruff with wristbands. The paintings were restored in 2007. During restoration, technical analysis confirmed what had long been thought, that the poorly rendered coats of arms were later additions not by Frans Hals (the pigment Prussian blue was found, but this pigment was first synthesized in 1706). The decision was taken to over paint the arms. Water soluble paints were used so that the over painting may be easily removed at a later date should this be wanted.

Portrait of Jacob Olycan (1596–1638) • 1625
Portrait of Aletta Hanemans (1606-1653)

1625

Portrait of Aletta Hannemans, who married Jacob Pietersz Olycan in 1624 and Nicolaes van Loo in 1640. She is shown three-quarters-length, standing, turned three-quarters left, looking at the spectator. She wears a costly bridal stomacher called a "bruidsborst", worked with gold thread and showing various flowers. She wears it over a colorful purple and red skirt that is draped over a French fardegalijn, which supports the heavy gold chain wrapped around her gown and through her "vlieger". Her vlieger is edged with black velvet and shows off her stomacher and skirt. Her sleeves are attached via shoulder wings to her dress with small silver aglets. Around her neck she wears a starched linen figure-eight collar, and over her hair a diadem cap with lace edging. She holds a pair of embroidered bridal gloves and wears a wedding ring on her right forefinger. She also wears gold bracelets and lace wrist collars. Both this painting and the pendant painting of her husband were restored in 2007. During restoration, technical analysis confirmed what had long been thought, that the poorly rendered coats of arms were later additions not by Frans Hals (the pigment Prussian blue was found, but this pigment was first synthesized in 1706). The decision was taken to over paint the arms. Water soluble paints were used so that the over painting may be easily removed at a later date should this be wanted.

Portrait of Aletta Hanemans (1606-1653) • 1625
Paulus van Beresteyn

1620

Paulus van Beresteyn • 1620
Portrait of an Official

1631

Portrait of an Official • 1631
Portrait of a Jester with a Lute

1623 - 1624

Portrait of a Jester with a Lute • 1623 - 1624
Portrait of Frans Post

1655

Portrait of Frans Post • 1655
Two singing boys with a lute and a music book

1625

Two singing boys with a lute and a music book • 1625
Portrait of a Woman Holding a Fan

1640

Portrait of a Woman Holding a Fan • 1640
Portrait of Willem Croes

1660

Portrait of Willem Croes • 1660
Young Man with a Skull

1626 - 1628

Young Man with a Skull • 1626 - 1628
Portrait of Willem van Heythuysen

1625-1630

Portrait of Willem van Heythuysen • 1625-1630
Verdonck

1627

Verdonck • 1627
The Gypsy Girl

1628—1630

The Gypsy Girl • 1628—1630
Regents of the St. Elisabeth's Hospital, Haarlem

1641

Regents of the St. Elisabeth's Hospital, Haarlem • 1641
Two laughing boys with mug of beer

1626 - 1627

Two laughing boys with mug of beer • 1626 - 1627
The St Adrian Militia Company in 1633

1633

The St Adrian Militia Company in 1633 • 1633
The Merry Drinker

1626 - 1627

The Merry Drinker • 1626 - 1627
Laughing man with jug, known as "Peeckelhaeringh"

1627

Laughing man with jug, known as "Peeckelhaeringh" • 1627
Wedding portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz. Massa (1586–1643) and Beatrix van der Laan (1592–1639)

1622

Wedding portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz. Massa (1586–1643) and Beatrix van der Laan (1592–1639) • 1622
Laughing Cavalier

1624

Laughing Cavalier • 1624
St. Luke

1623 - 1625

St. Luke • 1623 - 1625