Frans Hals

Frans Hals is best known for his dynamic portraits of wealthy citizens of Haarlem, a Dutch city where prosperity derived from brewing beer and producing luxury fabrics. Rejecting the static poses of traditional portraiture, Hals conveys in his subjects an impression of spontaneity and individuality. In Portrait of a Man (ca. 1635-38), the sitter seems to lean against the oval frame as if looking out a window. Next to Rembrandt and Vermeer, Hals is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest Dutch painters of the “Golden Age,” his bold brushwork inspiring Realist and Impressionist painters.