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Frans Hals was able to develop his own and avant-garde style for 17th century Dutch painting. His rapid and playful brushstrokes gave an authentic breath of life to his characters, from musicians to soldiers and gypsies to the militia.
The chronological tour of the exhibition highlights small portraits and group por- traits. The richness of the clothing details reveals the identity of the characters as well as their way of life. Humble or haughty, each of them seems to tell a moment of life suspended in eternal flight. The flesh pulsates and the eyes seem complicit with their fascinated spectators in this emotional flow.
During his lifetime, Hals enjoyed great notoriety thanks to the portraits commissio- ned by a rich aristocracy and a local bourgeoisie who appreciated the originality of his technique and his talent for representing them so vividly.
Having fallen into oblivion during the 18th century, he was brought back into fashion at the same time as Vermeer by the French art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger (1807-1860).
Frans Hals
Portrait of a Woman, probably Cunera van Baersdorp, 1627-8 Oil on canvas, 123.8 × 95.3 cm
Susan and Matthew Weatherbie Collection