RKD STUDIES

3.7 Patrons, supporters, maecenases

... inconceivable with today’s criteria why he was not given the opportunity. It demonstrates that in these cases he lacked sufficient advocates. Both group portraits were inspired by Hals’s militia paintings in their composition and in many motifs, but also by the Regents of St Elisabeth’s Hospital (A1.102) which he had only recently completed. Some of the guardsmen represented had sat for Hals’s paintings themselves. We are therefore in a position to compare their portraits. For example, the brewery owner and treasurer Michiel de Wael (1596-1659) [118] is not only prominently depicted in the centre of Soutman’s 1642 Officers and Sub-Alterns of the St George civic guard, but also in Hals’s earlier group portraits of 1626/1627 and 1639 [119][120]. However, in Soutman’s painting, not only are the proportions uneven – some faces behind De Wael are larger even though they are further away – but a clear structuring of the picture plane is lacking, which would have emphasized his appearance as it is in Hals’s paintings. He is less in action, and it may be that his friends and family found his likeness well represented. ...

... uch easier template for a sculptor to work from than some of Hals’s painted heads. Soutman lit his portraits more evenly, yet in an ensemble of figures this makes the overall impression seem monotonous. From Soutman’s 1642 group portrait of the Calivermen [116], the following portraits were extracted whose ...

... is Backer (†1655) [121][122]captain Johan van Clarenbeeck (1601-1642) [123][124]sergeant Sivert Sem Warm...

... district consulted for their commission. In that case, it would have been the influential Uylenburgh who recommended Hals, also offering studio space in his own workshop and accommodation in his house.308 Uylenburgh’s activity thus becomes highly interesting. It would not have been merely the engagement of a less expensive painter from Amsterdam’s surroundings, but rather an unconventional initiative in favour of a talent he deemed superior earlier than others – if this all proved to be the case....

... ars later in the closely related posture of the Sun King Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743) [130]. Unlike in the later picture, in Hals’s portrait the artificial and arranged character is more than obvious. What he depicts is an idea, a mind image. The cloth extended behind the figure with its long folds is clearly only a prop, but it generates a visual effect of light and dark lines emanating from the face and upper body of the figure. The exaggerated theatricality and the cool gaze convey the staged character of the whole and a certain role distance on the part of the sitter. While the portrait of the French king is seen from a great distance and transports a glorifying message of a political reality shaped by destiny, Hals’s painting is a theatrical event. It offers a realistic wide angle view from a close viewpoint, with the viewer's eye level set at the horizon seen on the left and the downward gaze of the sitter. It is a performance here and now, a glamorous show and nothing more. The cloth merchant Heythuysen greets his guests as someone demonstrating his ability and his wealth, which includes a stunning painting of himself....

... Furthermore, the painters' guild suspended the old and impoverished painter’s annual contribution, amounting to six stuivers. Finally, from September 1662 the elderly Hals was granted outstanding support by the mayors of Haarlem, providing him 200 guilders per annum, in addition to rental support and firewood – an amount far above the general level of poverty relief and only slightly below the annual income of 250-300 guilders that was normal for a carpenter or bricklayer. The municipal secretary in Haarlem received a remuneration of 272 guilders in 1625, with an additional clothing allowance of 27 guilders. When Hals's widow was granted support on 26 June 1675, after having requested it repeatedly, the sum amounted to a weekly stipend of 14 stuivers, which made 36 guilders per annum.317The benefits that Frans Hals received clearly indicate the city’s intention to honour an esteemed citizen. However, they differed from the appreciation shown to grand masters of the arts who had already been famous during their lifetime. A striking example from Haarlem is the engraver and history painter Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617): when he was buried in the church of St Bavo in 1617, the bells rang for half an hour. And when Hals's teacher Karel van Mander (1548-1606) was buried on 13 September 1606 in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, 300 people joined the funeral procession. Finally, it was said that for the burial of the Hals’s fellow painter Pieter Soutman on 21 August 1657, the bells of St Bavo rang for two hours.318 For Frans Hals, no such extraordinary funerary rituals have been reported.Hals was buried on 1 September 1666 in a prestigious burial site in the choir of St Bavo – an honour which he had inherited through his first wife’s grandfather, town councillor Nicolaas Joppen Gijblant. Hals was buried in Gijblant’s grave, yet without having his name added to the stone slab. This was only done many years later in 1918. Finally, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Frans Hals Museum in 1962, a new slab was put on the grave, solely stating ‘Frans Hals’[137].319 For today’s visitor to St Bavo, it now seems as if the name Frans Hals had been known and honoured continuously from the time of his death to the present. In this respect, we have to consider that a named grave was a privilege of the upper classes in the 17th century. Rembrandt was also buried anonymously in 1669, in the Amsterdam Westerkerk. In comparison with his much more famous colleague, Hals was honoured with a final resting place in a named grave very near the front of the church....

A2.8A - A2.12

... of the servant [2]. In consequence, one can clearly determine the mechanical rendering of the details in this intermediate stage, especially in the collar, which was most likely the basis of the other areas. The somewhat patchily applied face of ensign Ramp also remained hardly revised [3]. It lends itself to a comparison with the clearly executed facial area of captain Warmont (3). Hals’s brushwork can only be identified in the latter [4].The ensign on the left is noteworthy: it is Adriaen Matham (c. 1599-1660), son and pupil of the copper engraver Jacob Matham (1571-1631), who had created the engraving after Hals’s portrait of Theodorus Schrevelius (1572-1653) in 1618 (C3). Adriaen Matham’s date of birth can only be deducted indirectly from a document of 6 December 1634, in which he stated being 35 years old.4 He would thus have been born in 1599. In 1622, Matham returned from Paris to Haarlem and served as an ensign in the Calivermen civic guard from 1624 to 1627. He may have been involved in arranging the commission for Hals’s present group portrait. Later, he was to execute engravings after three important portraits by Hals: that of Pieter van den Broecke (1585-1640) (C24), Pieter Christiansz. Bor (1559-1635) (C26) and Isaac Abrahamsz. Massa (1586-1643) (C27). He was personally close to Hals, which is proven by the fact that he became the godfather of Hals’s daughter Susanna at her baptism in 1634.5 Additionally, Matham was a member of the Dutch delegation to the king of Morocco in 1640-1641. His drawing and engraving of El Badi Palace in Marrakech are unique historical documents of its magnificent appearance before its destruction a few decades later.6The window in the background of Banquet of the officers of the Calivermen civic guard scene is glazed. The two wings each contain a round pane in the center depicting armored fighters. To the outer sides, there are rows of – probably local – coats of arms. Visible through the window is a group of trees with clusters of finger-shaped leaves, rendered in a style that can be related to Pieter de Molijn's (1595-1661) contemporaneous tree backdrops. It is obvious to assume him as the painter of this part [5]....

... et of scales in her hand brings to mind the double meaning of the fleetingness of all beauty in nature, and the necessity of weighing facts. There was most likely also a connotation of the biblical wording ‘know them by their fruits’. Such representations were generally commissions for reception- and dining rooms. They not only refer to meals, but also – in a humanistic sense – to the seasons and the ambiguity of possessions and sensual pleasure. Slive pointed at another, slightly smaller, depiction of the same subject by Hals, listed in the supplement to the sale catalogue of the collection of Daniel Mansfeld, valued at 2 guilders.8...

... is workshop, and Pieter de Molijn, Meeting of the officers and sergeants of the Calivermen civic guard, c...

... is as varied as it is psychologically plausible – give this picture its unique character. Especially the left side appears as the epitome of Hals’s gift of expression. The arrangement of the colorful sashes and flags creates a close cohesion of separate details. It is all the more astonishing that Hals’s autograph brushwork can be found to a higher degree in these accessory parts than in the faces. I myself was surprised at this discovery, which I owe to the study of high resolution photographs of the painted surface, illustrated here in several details [8][9][10]. Most astounding is the observation that Hals’s personal manner is only purely to be found in one face – that of Sergeant Cornelis Jansz. Ham (12) – and five hands. Additionally, all flags, sashes, collar, cuffs, weapons and feathers, as well as most doublets and sleeves show his typical brushwork (nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8). The figure of captain Johan Schatter (2) is also remarkable in this respect. In His sword, sash, and plumed hat display a wealth of brilliantly executed details, yet in the relatively smooth rendering of the face there are traces of a fine outline drawing – probably transferred from a preparatory design [11]....

... sh[12]. If one compares this observation, which concentrates on a few highlights and shadows, with the face of Commander Van Loo (1), this graphic character appears to be missing in the latter. The commander's dominating eye and nose zones have been rendered in a pulpy manner with a soft brush, which were later reinforced with thick black contours. The area of the mouth and moustache is also depicted smoothly and captured stiffly [13]. It is equally astounding to compare the face of Captain Van der Horn (4) with that of his bust portrait by Hals from 1638 (A1.93) [14][15]. When facing the detail image, one might think they are looking at a portrait from the mid-19th century. The smoothly applied paint and its saturated tonality have nothing in common with the sheer, sketch-like bravura of the later portraits. Looking back to earlier examples, the head of Captain Backer (3) lends itself for comparison with the Portrait of an elderly man in the Frick Collection (A1.41).10 Biesboer even assumed that it was the same person.11 Here too, thick impasto contrasts with the watercolor-like lightness of Hals’s autograph single portraits....

... hanging sash ends with their lace trimming are bravura-details by Hals’s own hand. A similarly free and well-detailed painting style highlights the two flags, and hardly noticed so far is the delicate execution of the weapons, the finely cut metal surfaces of the halberds and partisans, gleaming in silver and gold above the heads of the men. When comparing this manner of execution with that in the 1639 Officers and sergeants of the St George civic guard (A2.12), one can discover Frans Hals' stupendous talent as a still-life painter, but also get a precise idea of master- and workshop-execution. Finally, Hals appears as a painter with a penchant for depicting amusing details in the figures of the two guards in the background on the right....

... ain Reynier Reael and lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz Blaeuw – known as The meag...

... een 19 March and 16 June 1636 give insight into the dispute between Hals and his patrons. According to these, Hals first promised completion by June 1636, but once this date had passed, neither reminders nor threats could induce him to continue his work in Amsterdam. The documents which record Hals’s proposals for the painting’s execution are instructive with regard to his work process. They state that Hals had imposed the condition that he could paint the painting in Haarlem. ‘although he had not been obliged to do so, he had subsequently agreed to go to Amsterdam to make the initial sketches of the officers’ heads, which he would then finish in Haarlem’. According to the guardsmen, ‘it had originally been agreed that Hals would do the portrait heads in Amsterdam and fill in the detail in Haarlem for a fee of 60 guilders a head. This was later raised to 66 guilders, provided he did the work in Amsterdam instead of Haarlem, and that he completed both the heads and the full figures there, as he had already started doing in some cases’. Hals’s response states that he was ‘prepared to move the painting from Amsterdam to his house in Haarlem, where he will first finish any of the officers’ dress which has not yet been painted. He will then do the heads, and assumes that no one will object to coming to Haarlem for the purpose. However, if six or seven of the officers are not prepared to make the journey he will bring the painting to Amsterdam, where he will fill in the remaining heads’.16...

... the hair and collar, the rest of the figure15- Hals: sketch of the bearded face, the light reflections on the collar- Codde: completion of the collar, the rest of the figure16- Hals: sketch of the face with outline of the beard and the collar- Codde: completion of the shades on the face, hair, beard, and collar; the rest of the figureIn some instances smoothing overpaint is visible, for instance in the faces of ensign Bambeeck (3), officer Carel Gerard (8), Pieter Ranst (11) and of figures no. 7, 9 and 10 [18][19][20][21]22][23]. The portrait of Jan Pellicorne (12), on the other hand, shows the untouched brushstrokes of Hals: the beam of light running from the root of the nose to its tip has been captured in a single stroke of paint with a flat brush [24]. In contrast, the faces of figures no. 13 and 16 are uniformly executed in Codde’s somewhat fibrous manner[25][26]. Weaker parts are the posture Pieter Ranst (11), who seems to be tilting backwards, and the repetitive superimposition of the hands of figures no. 15 and 16 [27]. As tightly as the eight guardsmen in conversation on the left are grouped together, so peculiarly isolated appear their eight colleagues on the right hand side. In the latter can be recognized the separate execution in the workshop. Hals probably would have created a different set-up in this part, making use of lighting and compositional devices such as sashes and hand gestures. The six figures on the right, finally, are not fully convincing in their bodily proportions and positioning of the feet.Time and again, the present painting has inspired reflections on the difference in style between the two contemporaneous painters. The different manners of execution of the faces, hands and costumes are obvious despite Codde's attempts in approximating Hals’ examples. Yet, both painters come very close to each other in their rendering of arms, and one can particularly appreciate Hals's gift of observation and attentiveness in this special field. As the detail-illustrations reveal Codde was also sensitive to the observation of lighting and reflection. His renderings of several rapiers, a halberd and a partisan show the evenly distributed gradations of brightness in the highlighted edges and reflection points [28][29]. In contrast, Hals rather captured the dynamic change of brightness on the respective materials, particularly brilliantly in the weapons in Gathering of the officers and sergeants of the Calivermen civic guard of 1632-1633 (A2.10) [30][31]. If one wonders whether he has not called in a specialist here, a look at the weapons and seat cushions, which are already unsurpassed in their characterisation in the early Banquet of the officers of the St George civic guard of 1616 (A2.0), will prove instructively....

... iewer. Nevertheless, the seventh figure from the right is too old for Codde, who was born in 1599 and was in his late 30s when the painting was made. Figures no. 12 and 14 are – fortunately for today's interpretation – left largely in the state as was sketched by Hals. Surely, Codde would not have had to kept his own likeness in such a state. In addition, no. 14 shows facial proportions that have not yet been worked out fully (a shifted eye axis and raised right ear) [31]. Either of these portraits would not have escaped Codde's attention and reworking if it had been his own representation, meant for posterity.26...

... is Symonsz. van der Schalcke, Officers and sergeants of the St George civic guard, 1639...

... derlying paint layers. Meanwhile, he is now depicted holding a partisan, the attribute of an officer. In fact, Coning was to become a lieutenant with the militia of the Calivermen civic guard in 1639. It is evident that the painting had to pay tribute to this change in status. The visual prominence given to Michiel de Wael (2) is also striking: he stands in the front row, his tan costume contrasting with the black clothing of the men surrounding him. In 1636, De Wael had been promoted by the captain to the new position of treasurer, as indicated by the short commander’s staff that he holds.28 In x-ray, his originally round pleated collar is visible, which was altered into a more fashionable flat lace collar in the final painting.Several sitters in the present picture also appear in other paintings by Hals, which offers opportunities for comparison the artist’s approach to their portraits. This applies to captain Van Loo (1) (A2.10), fiscal De Wael (2) (A1.22, A1.30), lieutenant and painter colleague Pot (6) (A2.10), lieutenant Wouters (7) (A1.102, A3.50), ensign Dicx (10) (A1.30) and lieutenant Coning (8) (A3.15). In addition, we encounter Michiel de Wael a few years later in the 1642 group portrait of the Calivermen civic guard painted by Pieter Soutman.29...

... ation of paint – are the distinctive emphases and corrections that reveal the optical qualities of highlights and shadows, and at the same time, the brushwork of Frans Hals. These can be found in the mouth lines, nose shadows and eye contours and – as in Hals’ self-portrait – in the diagonal streaks of highlights running against the strokes in the mustache and goatee. Such loose reworking is also visible in many hair sections, for instance in the hair of De Wael (2) [37].A similar sequence of approach can already be observed in the meeting of the officers and sergeants of the Calivermen civic guard, of 1632-1633 (A2.10). But unlike there, Hals has largely retreated from the intensive involvement with details in the present painting. One-and-a-half collar sections (no. 10, 12), two-and-a-half sword handles (no. 5, 12), one sash (no. 12); yet no hand, no glove, no cuff, no halberd, no partisan can be identified as his individual bravura contribution.32 Overall, the painting stands out in its muted tonality and even distribution of color accents, opposed to the agitated composition and spatial grouping of the more colorful representation of the abovementioned Calivermen civic guard. Whoever has assisted Hals in both cases cannot be guessed. In contrast to the commission of 1632-1633, Hals’s sons Frans (II) (1618-1669) and Jan (c. 1620-c. 1654) were active in the workshop as fully trained assistants by 1639.In comparison to the other group portraits, the appearance of the present picture is somewhat impaired by the cracks in the impasto paint layer....

A4.3.1 - A4.3.10

... e portrait lacks the characteristic presence of Hals’s faces, and the spontaneity of actively turning towards the viewer, which can even be observed in the early portraits. The present painting is relatively close to the Portrait of a woman holding a glove by Pieter Soutman (c.1593/1601-1657) [1]....

... and the contours of the face. The restless rendering of the facial features, hair, and beard, which disintegrates into many short brushstrokes, was certainly not done by the Hals himself, but by an assistant. The latter imitated Hals’s brushwork without achieving the master’s concentration on a few significant elements....

... 26-year old man, 1632...

... IS SVÆ 26 / AN° 1632Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, inv.no. Bx E 310Several specialists agree that the inscr...

... mal expression. In contrast to Hals’s autograph works, the upper body and arms appear slightly reduced in size. This leads to a lack of three-dimensional volume which would be uncharacteristic in a work by Hals. The composition overemphasizes the highlights on the sleeve, which is atypical as well....

... uggish rendering of the figure and the hard brushstrokes in the facial area rule out that this painting was created by Hals himself. Nevertheless, the portrait is a typical work that is executed in his style, perhaps even on the basis of a sketch by him and created in his immediate surroundings. In addition, the angularity of the brushwork suggests a certain proximity to Harmen Hals (1611-1669)....

... g. The combination of the small copy and its pendant, published by Valentiner in 1921 and in the catalogue of the 1937 Hals exhibition (A4.3.6a), suggest that the present portrait can be associated with the Portrait of Marie Larp (A1.79) in the National Gallery, London [3].4 However, that painting is 10 cm shorter in height. Because of this significant difference in size, and the lack of stylistic parallels between the portraits, such a connection cannot be established....

... F. KoenigsThis small copy was published by Valentiner in 1921 and in ...

... is entirely within the realm of possibility’.13Overall, Van Eeghen had already noted that there must have been three portraits of Floris Soop: one in a row with the portraits of the father and brothers, another making music, and a third in life size. This third picture was connected by Van Eeghen to a painting which also appeared in the 1709 Amsterdam auction, where lot 34 describes ‘a flag bearer by Rembrandt’. This most probably referred to Rembrandt’s Portrait of Floris Soop of 1654 [5]. Even though the name of Rembrandt did not appear in the inventories of paintings owned by Floris Soop, nor of his heir Willem Schrijver (1608-1661), Van Eeghen noted that Floris Soop had been one of the few long-term flag bearers in one of Amsterdam’s civic guards, which would match the representation of a relatively old sitter by Rembrandt.14Two identifications of Floris Soop then exist in parallel: that of the lute layer and that of the flag bearer. Even considering that Floris Soop must have been about 20 years younger in the painting by Hals, there are still differences in the two faces. The outline of the eyes, the ridge of the nose, the shape of the eyelid, the eye sockets and eyebrows differ. Last, not least the eye color is dark brown in Rembrandt and green-grey in Hals. In addition, the shape of the chin and position of the ears are incompatible: high in Hals, low in Rembrandt. Thus, we are faced with two competing lines of reasoning, which are mutually exclusive. Both contain arguments of some probability but are not fully compelling. Both paintings appeared in the 1709 Amsterdam auction, 52 years after the death of the presumed sitter. Both match particular abilities and characteristics of the sitter, which, however, could also match one or another contemporary individual. Finally, the connection between the Dublin painting and a portrait of the famous lute player Floris Soop by Hals is more consistently documented. In addition, Norbert Middelkoop recently suggested an alternative identification for Rembrandt’s Flag bearer.15...

... bly, John Faber (1694-1756) based his mezzotint of 1754 [4] on this copy instead of on the Dublin original.16...

... ts of the face and hands are characterized by a focus on contours created by abrupt shadows, resulting in a two-dimensional appearance. The hard contours of the eyes and the uniformly drawn line of the mouth immobilizes the facial expression. These features are typical for a strictly illustrative, less visual, and not spontaneous approach to the observation of facial features and gestures....

... ther portraits. Unfortunately, nothing is known about Daniel van Aken, or why he wanted his likeness immortalized in this way.The portrait’s two-dimensional appearance is due to the fact that it has been more drawn than painterly modelled with graduated tones. The areas of the collar, face, and hands are characterized by an emphasis on the contours, and a flat style rendering, lacking Hals’s important halftones. This manner of execution can be attributed to the hand of an assistant, possibly the same painter whose hand appears in many later portraits, and who might be identical to Frans Hals (II)....

... d hairs going in all directions, and the too small hand which appears like an appendage, differentiate this portrait from the convincing three-dimensional quality and the life-like compositions of Hals’s autograph portraits, which in addition display a facial movement which corresponds to the body posture....

A1.59 - A1.71

... specially when taking the fashionable collars into account, which were not yet worn in Haarlem, but were first introduced in Amsterdam at the time. On the basis of his hypothesis, Dudok van Heel could also identify the sitters individually in each portrait. He was able to connect the present picture to a larger pastel copy by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel, dated 1751 (D43). The copy is inscribed verso: ‘This is the portrait / of Pieter Jacobsz Nachtglas / in the 15th year that he had been part of the Vroedschap of Amsterdam; the painting is still / in his family. After Frans Hals 1610 / by C.P. [in ligature] v. Amstel 1751’.4The use of the relatively expensive panels, the compositional coherence of the portraits and the detailed execution of the clothing, especially the collars, moreover contradict the assumption that these were mere preparatory sketches, which would normally have sufficed to be carried out on paper or canvas. The adoption of such an unusual but obviously deliberate format for the portraits can only be explained by the intentions of the patron, which was probably Jacob Pietersz. N...

... Arquebus civic guard house of 1655 by Bartholomeus van der Helst.6 He can be seen there as the house custodian, holding a jug in the crook of his arm....

... ces. Born in 1605 as the youngest of the Nachtglas brothers, he is last mentioned in 1635....

... private commissions from Amsterdam which Hals took on during his work on the group portrait of the Meagre company (A2.11). He also refers to the representation of Hasselaer in the 1633 group portrait by Abraham de Vries: ‘Hasselaer, unlike his fellow regents of the Burgerweeshuis, is not depicted in civilian black clothing, but rather unconventionally as a military commander of the city “in’t gewaat als Majoor” (in the attire of a Major). He wears boots with spurs, old-fashioned grey puffy breeches with a light grey satin studded doublet, and a small flat collar with minimal lace, like the one worn by Dr. Tulp in Rembrandt's 1632 Anatomy Lesson. He holds his commander’s staff in his right hand and his ceremonial rapier is tucked under his left arm. In his single portrait by Hals he is wearing civilian black attire’.10...

... sleeve, is closely related to the handling in the ensign of the Meagre Company that Hals painted probably around the same time in Amsterdam (A2.11) [1][2]. Based on the conventional posture of the wife, which is more in keeping with decorum, Norbert Middelkoop assumes a slightly later date of execution for the female portrait, yet not later than 1635.11...

... epeatedly in the facial details. The modelling of the area around the eyes and nose is closely related to the Portrait of Nicolaes Hasselaer (A1.62). The execution of the upper arm also shows a light and confident use of grey reflections that is in keeping with the soft folds of the fabric....

... ribbons or the glove’.12 A few years ago, pigment analysis of this and other coats of arms that were included in portraits, resulted in the identification of Prussian blue, which only came onto the market in 1720. Therefore, the coats of arms must have been added later in a similar manner as the case of the portraits of Pieter Olycan (1572-1658) and his wife Maritge Claesdr. Vooght (1577-1644) (A3.32, A3.33). The Cleveland museum hence decided to reapply the overpainting of the coat of arms.13 The picture has consequently gained in consistency of appearance and convincing spatial depth....

... atherina Brugman is sumptuously dressed, with a double collar and gloves abundantly covered in lace. She looks pregnant in the picture; between 1633 and 1652 she gave birth to nine children. The present portrait is one of the few works not seen since the 1940s....

... o the man’s body on the right side, which the restorer was able to remove during cleaning, together with the weak depiction of a cuff [3]. Subsequently, the modelling of the arm and chest formed a logical whole again. The especially expressive face with the amused eyes turned towards the viewer is well preserved. Its smooth modelling indicates a date in the mid-thirties....

... vészeti Múzeum, inv.no. 4158Pendant to A3.26 [4]The posture of the young man was ado...

... 6...

... ram had become faint in the 18th century and that an attribution was added in line with other pictures in the family. Both watercolors are inscribed on the reverse with the names of the sitters, which in the male portrait’s case reads: ‘Mons: Mers. en / huisvrouw’ (Mr Mers and his wife)....

... curring motif in works by Hals and his contemporaries. In the present picture, the hand area is brilliantly represented, with unusually confident brushstrokes and few contour lines, while exquisitely characterizing the softness of the back of the hand and the fingers....

2.1 Hals as painter of ruffs, cuffs and lace

... ny thus far undisputed masterworks also included shares by the workshop. It became clear that our modern terminology of identification differed from the historical concept of workshop production. Conversely, today’s focus is on individual achievement. We want to know what the master planned and organized and what he executed with his own hand....

... datable to the same phase of his activity’.130 By 2014, however, the attribution to Hals was still maintained in Slive’s revised monograph.131 And vice versa, Barrett does not support the proposed attribution to Soutman in her monograph of 2012. She feels that ‘the painting should remain in the circle of Hals’ since ‘the facture of the paint composing Catharina is not discernible in either of Soutman’s portraits’.132We are now in a position to examine and compare the facture of the paint more precisely. But what is our comprehension of Soutman’s portrait painting? For a period of many years, there has not been any female portrait that was certainly created by him, there are only attributions. As comparisons from the same period as the Louvre portrait, there are the two female portraits in The Hague [3] and Saint Louis [4], which can both be dated c. 1625-1630 on the basis of style and costume. Above all, the heads in the family portrait of the Van Beresteyn family need to be considered, as this painting is almost certainly by Soutman [5]. Based on the ages of the children, it can be dated to c. 1630-1631. I was intrigued by the exact comparison between the representations of Catharina Both van der Eem in the single portrait of 1620 and in the family portrait of some ten years later. In 1988, I requested permission from the Louvre to take detailed photographs, and balancing on a table and a ladder, I managed to reach the necessary height to inspect the important areas at close quarters. My impression that the faces of the women were by done the same painter was reinforced after this investigation [6][7]. I also observed that the execution of the embroidery on the women’s bodices is similarly accurate in both paintings [8][9]. Neither picture is a copy or a ‘Monday morning effort’, but they are executions by a confident hand that is clearly different from Hals’s....

... modelling eyes, nose, mouth, how the hair was executed, but also how the various parts of clothing were handled. The juxtaposition of the two hands reveals the particular character of Hals’s manner of painting in an almost provocative sense.Hals’s individuality stands out from the smooth illusionism that his contemporaries adopted in order to present a fashionable staging of their prosperous clientele. They impressed with minute rendering of expensive fabrics, woven in patterns or embroidered, and the sitters’ lace bonnets, collars, and cuffs. Portrait specialists demonstrated these skills at a high level, above all the workshops of masters such as Michiel van Mierevelt (1566-1641) in Delft, Cornelis van der Voort (1576-1624) in Amsterdam, Jan van Ravesteyn (c. 1572-1657) in The Hague, or Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638) in Utrecht. For instance, taking a look at a portrait by Mierevelt from circa 1620 [16], the design and structure of the exquisite textile is clearly visible and provides a decorative frame for the representation of the sitter’s face [17] The effect of this kind of paintings often begins and ends with the brilliance of such precious status symbols, while the faces are comparatively void of expression. Conversely, Hals emphasized the visual allure of this decorative element [18]. The interplay of light and dark lines produces an abstract pattern that frames the sitter’s face, the attraction of which lies in its fleeting appearance....

... ens, who was given permission to make engravings after the latter’s pictures, and who was recommended to King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland (1566-1632) as a court painter in 1624. Soutman entered the king’s service and painted the portraits of him and his son Prince Wladyslaus IV (1595-1648). Painted version of the king’s portrait are now in Munich, and a portrait of his son is kept at Wilanów Castle near Warsaw.136 The high regard in which Soutman was held is also demonstrated by the portrait painted by Anthony van Dyck.137...

... nger position in the left hand of Catharina is slightly shifted. These similarities and differences in the hands can only be explained from the use of the same model, or of several studies of the same hand. In both paintings the black background color was applied right up to the fingertips, with overlaps. Especially in the left hand of the Kassel woman the tip of the index finger appears shortened as a result of this. In the hand of Catharina, damages and revisions are visible which obscure the appearance of the finger area....

... g blurring can be discerned, increasing over time. This shows that the details in the background and along the edges of the composition in Hals’s paintings receded from the artist’s attention as time progressed. His observation became increasingly focused on the representation of his sitters. Within this line of development, only two lion heads differ, as they were painted by a workshop assistant of Hals, in a slightly too bright color and with short, somewhat choppy brushstrokes [32, left and center]. These edgy brush lines and thicker paint application can also be found in other areas of the portraits of Nicolaes Woutersz. van der Meer (A3.19) and Cornelia Claesdr. Vooght (A3.20)....

Bibliography

... 7;The portrait by Frans Hals at Vienna', in: The Burlington Magazine, 1936, p. 244-247Baldass 1951L. Baldass, 'Two male portraits by Frans Hals', in: The Burlington Magazine 43 (1951), p. 180-183Barrett 2012K. Barrett, Pieter Soutman: life and oeuvre, Amsterdam 2012Beck 1998H.-U. Beck, Pieter Molyn 1595-1661: Katalog der Hanzeichnungen, Doornspijk 1998Berlin 1932Hundert seltene Holländer, ex.cat. Berlin (Galerie dr. Schäffer) 1932Bezold 2015J. Bezold, Contrasting connoisseurs: Attributing the family portraiture of Frans Hals, MA-thesis University of Amsterdam, 2015De Bie 1661C. de Bie, Het gulden cabinet vande edel vry schilder const, Antwerp 1661Biesboer 1995P. Biesboer, 'Willem van Heythuysen en zijn twee portretten', in: H. Brokken et al. (ed.), Hart voor Haarlem: Liber Amicorum voor Jaap Temminck, Haarlem 1995, p. 113-126Biesboer 2001P. Biesboer, Collections of paintings in Haarlem 1572-1745, Los Angeles 2001...

... seum of Art, 2 vols., New York 2007Liedtke 2017W.A. Liedtke, 'Portrait of Samuel Ampzing', in: The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 4th ed., 2017 (https://www.theleidencollection.com/artwork/portrait-of-samuel-ampzing/)Linnik 1959I. Linnik, 'Newly discovered paintings by Frans Hals', in: Iskusstvo 1959, no. 10, p. 70-76London 1877-1878Exhibition of works by the Old Masters, and by Deceased Masters of the British School, ex.cat. London (Royal Academy of Arts) 1877-1878London 1888Exhibition of works by the Old Masters, and by Deceased Masters of the British School. Winter exhibition, ex.cat. London (Royal Academy of Arts) 1888London 1902Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, MDCCCCII: the one hundred and thirty-fourth, ex.cat. London (Royal Academy of Arts) 1902London 1925National Gallery Trafalgar Square: catalogue, London 1925London/Amsterdam 2006F. Lammertse & J. van der Veen, Uylenburgh & zoon. Kunst en commercie van Rembrandt tot De Lairesse 1625-1675, ex.cat. London (Dulwich Picture Gallery) & Amsterdam (Museum Het Rembrandthuis) 2006London/Amsterdam 2023-2024B. Cornelis, F. Lammertse, J. Rinnooy Kan & J. van der veen, Frans Hals, ex.cat. London (National Gallery) & Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) 2023-2024London/The Hague 2007-2008R.E.O. Ekkart & Q. Buvelot (eds.), Dutch portraits: the age of Rembrandt and Frans Hals, ex.cat. London (National Gallery) & The Hague (Mauritshuis) 2007-2008Lubberhuizen-van Gelder 1947A.M. Lubberhuizen-Van Gelder, 'Japonsche rocken', in: Oud Holland 62 (1947), p. 137-152Maclaren 1960N. MacLaren, The Dutch School, London 1960Madrid 2020N. Middelkoop (ed.), Rembrandt and Amsterdam portraiture - 1590-1670, ex.cat. Madrid (Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza) 2020Van Mander 1618K. van Mander, Het Schilderboeck…, 2nd ed., Amsterdam 1618De Marchi/Van Miegroet 1994N. De Marchi & H.J. Van Miegroet, 'Art, value, and market practices in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century', in: The Art Bulletin 76 (1994), p. 451-464Martin 1952W. Martin, 'An Unknown Portrait by Frans Hals', in: The Burlington Magazine 94 (1952), p. 359-360Martin 1971G. Martin, 'The inventive genius of Frans Hals [review of Slive 1970-4, vols. 1 and 2]', in: Apollo 94 (1971), p. 242-243Van Meurs 1617Johannes van Meurs, Icones elogia ac vitae professorum Lugdunensium apud Batavos, Leiden 1617.Middelkoop 2002N. Middelkoop, Kopstukken: Amsterdammers geportretteerd 1600-1800, ex.cat. Amsterdam (Amsterdam Museum) 2002Middelkoop 2008N. Middelkoop, De oude meesters van de stad Amsterdam, Bussum 2008Middelkoop 2013AN. Middelkoop, 'Citizenship and creativity: the Dutch group portrait in the seventeenth century', in: I. Sokolova & N. Middelkoop, Dutch group portraits of the golden age from the collection of the Amsterdam museum, ex.cat. St. Petersburg (State Hermitage Museum) & Moscow (Pushkin Museum), p. 20-43Middelkoop 2019N. Middelkoop, Schutters, gildebroeders, regenten en rgentessen: het Amsterdamse corporatiestuk 1525-1850, 3 vols., Amsterdam 2019Middelkoop 2020N. Middelkoop, 'Rembrandts Vaandeldrager' in: Maandblad Amstelodamum 107 (2020), p. 92-98Middelkoop 2024N. Middelkoop, ‘Review of: Frans Hals by Bart Cornelis, Friso Lammertse, Justine Rinnooy Kan and Jaap van der Veen,’ Oud Holland Reviews, September 2024 (https://oudholland.rkd.nl/index.php/reviews/134-review-of-frans-hals-2023) Middelkoop/Van Grevenstein 1988N. Middelkoop & A. van Grevenstein, Frans Hals: leven werk restauratie, Haarlem 1988Miedema 1980H. Miedema, De archiefbescheiden van het St. Lukasgilde te Haarlem 1497-1798, Alphen aan den Rijn 1980Minich 1774E. Minich, Catalogue des tableaux que se trouvent dans les galleries, salons et cabinets du Palais Impérial de S. Petersbourg, St. Petersburg 1774Mok/Stam 2023I. Mok & D. Stam, Haarlemmers en de slavernij, Haarlem 2023Montagni/Grimm 1974 E.C. Montagni & C. Grimm, L'opera completa di Frans Hals, Milan 1974Moes 1909E.W. Moes, Frans Hals: sa vie et son oeuvre, Brussels 1909Moes-Veth 1940A.J. Moes-Veth, 'Nog eens: twee portretten van Frans Hals', in: Maandblad voor beeldende kunst 17 (1940), no. 8, p. 202-204Molhuysen 1911-1937P.C. Molhuysen (ed.), Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek, Leiden 1911-1937De Monconys 1665-1666B. de Monconys, Journal des voyages de Monsieur de Monconys, Lyon 1665-1666Montagni/Grimm 1974E.C. Montagni & C. Grimm, L'opera completa di Frans Hals, Milan 1974Montias 1982J.M. Montias, Artists and artisans in Delft: a socio-economic study of the seventeenth century, Princeton 1982Montreal 1944Five centuries of Dutch art, ex.cat. Montreal (Art Association of Montreal) 1944Morelli 1890-1893G. Morelli, Kritische Studien über italienische Malerei, Leipzig 1890-1893Moonen 1700A. Moonen, Poëzy, Amsterdam 1700Nadler 2013S. Nadler, The philosopher, the priest and the painter: a portrait of Descartes, Princeton 2013Nadler 2022S. Nadler, The Portraitist. Frans Hals and his world, Chicago 2022Neumeister 2015M. Neumeister, Holländische Gemälde im Städel, 1550-1800 : Künstler geboren bis 1615, Petersberg 2005Newton 1704I. Newton, Opticks: or, A treatise of the reflexions, refractions inflexions and colours of light, London 1704.New Brunswick 1983F. Fox Hofrichter, E. Haverkamp-Begemann & J.J. Temminck, Haarlem: the seventeenth century, ex.cat. New Brunswick (Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum) 1983New York 1937Paintings by Frans Hals, ex.cat. New York (Schaeffer Galleries) 1937New York 2011W. Liedtke, Frans Hals: Style and substance, ex.cat. New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art) 2011New York 2012J. Shoaf Turner, Rembrandt's world: Dutch drawings from the Clement C. Moore collection, ex.cat. New York (Morgan Library and Museum) 2012Nordström 1957-1958 J. Nordström, 'Till Cartesius Ikonographie', in: Lychon 1957-1958, p. 194-250Oud/Van Oosterzee/Wigger 1999I. Oud, L. van Oosterzee, H.J. Wiggers (eds.), Nederlandse tekenaars geboren tussen 1660 en 1745, coll. cat. Amsterdam (Amsterdams Historisch Museum) 1999Pani 1940A.J. Pani, La segunda coleccion Pani de pinturas, Mexico 1940Paris 1970-1971Le siècle de Rembrandt: tableaux hollandais des collections publiques françaises, ex.cat. Paris (Petit Palais/Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris) 1970-1971Pigler 1948A. Pigler, 'Le portrait de Jan Asselyn par Frans Hals', in: Bulletin du Musée Hongrois des Beaux-Arts 2 (1948), p. 26-29, 60-61Plietzsch 1956E. Plietzsch, 'Randbemerkungen zur holländischen Interieurmalerei am Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts' in: Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch 18 (1956), p. 174-196Poensgen 1926G. Poensgen, 'Beiträge zur Kunst des Willem Buytewech', in: Jahrbuch der Preussischen Kunstsammlungen 47 (1926), p. 87-102Posse/Jähnig/Steinweg 1930H. Posse, K.W. Jähnig, K. Steinweg, Die Staatliche Gemäldegalerie zu Dresden: Katalog der alten Meister. Kleine Ausgabe, Dresden 1930Providence 1938Dutch painting in the seventeenth century, ex.cat. Providence (Rhode Island School of Design) 1938Raleigh 1960Samuel H. Kress Collection. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh 1960Raupp 1984 H.J. Raupp, Untersuchungen zu Künstlerbildnis und Künstlerdarstellung in den Niederlanden im 17. Jahrhundert, Hildesheim 1984Van Regteren Altena 1965J.Q. van Regteren Altena, 'Jan van den Bergh te Antwerpen', in: Oud Holland 80 (1965), p. 238, 240Rewald 1979J. Rewald, Die Geschichte des Impressionismus: Schicksal und Werk der Maler einer grossen Epoche der Kunst, Köln 1979...

... America, Connecticut 1936Van Valkenburg 1958C.C. van Valkenburg, 'De Haarlemse schuttersstukken: I Maaltijd van Officieren van de Sint Jorisdoelen (Frans Hals, 1616): identificatie der voorgestelde schuttersofficieren', in: Jaarboek Haerlem 1958, p. 59-68Van Valkenburg 1961C.C. van Valkenburg, 'De Haarlemse schutterstukken', in: Haerlem Jaarboek Haerlem 1961, p. 47-76Veith 2011J. Veith, Memorializing the past: Jan de Bray and the construction of identity in seventeenth-century Haarlem, diss. New York University 2011Venturi/Orienti 1967M. Venturi & S. Orienti, L'opera pittorica di Edouard Manet, Milano 1967Waagen 1854G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, 3 vols., London 1854Waagen 1866G.F. Waagen, Die vornehmsten Kunstdenkmäler in Wien, 2 vols., Wien 1866Walpole 1747H. Walpole, Aedes Walpolianae or A Description of the Collection of Pictures at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, London 1747Walpole 1762-1771H. Walpole, Anecdotes of painting in England, 4 vols., Strawberry Hill 1761-1771Washington/London/Haarlem 1989-1990S. Slive (ed.), Frans Hals, ex.cat. Washington (National Gallery of Art), London (Royal Academy of Arts) & Haarlem (Frans Hals Museum) 1989-1990Watson 2002R. Watson, Cogito ergo sum: the life of René Descartes, Boston 2002Weber 1920M. Weber, Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus, Tübingen 1920Weber 2022G.J. Weber, Johannes Vermeer: faith, light and reflection, Amsterdam 2022Weller 2009D. Weller, Seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, Raleigh 2009Van de Wetering 1986E. van de Wetering, Studies in the workshop practice of the early Rembrandt, 1986Wheelock 1995A.K. Wheelock, Dutch paintings of the seventeenth century: the collections of the National Gallery of Art: systematic catalogue, Washington 1995Wheelock 2014A.K. Wheelock, 'Judith Leyster/Young Boy in Profile/c. 1630', in: Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions (https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/142346/2014-04-24) De Wild 1930A.M. de Wild, 'Gemälde-Röntgenographie', in: Technische Mitteilungen für Malerei 20 (1930), p. 230-234Van der Willigen 1870A.Pz. Van der Willigen, Les artistes de Harlem: notices historiques ave un précis sur la Gilde de St. Luc, Haarlem 1870De Winkel 2012M. de Winkel, 'Frans Hals's portraits of Michiel de Wael and Cunera van Baersdorp and of Jan de Wael and Aeltje Dircksdr. Pater identified', in: C. Dumas (ed.), Face Book. Studies on Dutch and Flemish portraiture of the 16th-18th centuries, Leiden 2012, p. 141-150Worp 1893J.A. Worp, 'Elias Herckmans', in: Oud Holland 11 (1893), p. 162-178Von Wurzbach 1906-1911A. von Wurzbach, Niederländisches Künstler-Lexikon auf Grund archivalischer Forschungen bearbeitet, Vienna 1906-1911Von Zitzewitz 2001J. von Zitzewitz, Frans Hals: Malle Babbe, Berlin 2001...

A4.3.51 - A4.3.55

... an only be explained by Hals designing the portrait’s basic outlines, while delegating the detailed completion to an assistant.The finished picture seems to have been on display many years before Langelius’s death in 1666, and the engraving by Bloteling could have been created prior to his decease, since some prints have been preserved that do not feature the posthumous eulogy. In any case, the commission to Hals was the subject of a critical discussion, as documented in a poem published in 1660 by Herman Frederik Waterloos (1625-1664):‘Why, old Hals, do you try and paint Langelius?Your eyes are too dim for his learned lustre,And your stiffened hand too crude and artlessTo express the superhuman, peerlessmind of this man and teacher.Haarlem may boast of your art and early masterpieces,Our Amsterdam will now bear witness with me that youHave perceived not half the essence of his light’.3Indeed, the execution of the portrait is picture was hard; perhaps an execution by Hals’s own hand would have met with a more favorable judgment....

... solution of the visual impression in diagonally structured brushstrokes, at the same time maintaining a high degree of adherence to the three-dimensional shape of the face and to the anatomy of the hands, the present picture shows little of this delicate abstraction. Angular contours and hard light accents cut into the visual impression, without any connection to the facial features and their expression. This crude manner of painting is the work of a follower of Hals. In some respects, it shows a connection to other, late ‘Halsian’ works. For example: the folds of the sleeve bring to mind the Portrait of an unknown man in the Fitzwilliam Museum (A4.3.55), and the modelling of the face in Portrait of Herman Langelius (A4.3.51)....

... r Frans Hals. Accordingly, the initial composition and modelling were most likely done by the master. Subsequently, the portrait would have been fully finished by an assistant. The manner of this latter hand resembles sections in the Portrait of a man, possibly a clergyman (A3.60) and the Portrait of Cornelis Guldewagen (A4.3.54). Consequently, the painter can be assumed to be the same person, possibly Frans Hals (II) (1618-1669)....

... is Guldewagen, c. 1660-1663...

... the outset. In the final result, the man sits a little closer to the viewer edge, but his upper body is turned towards the companion piece.The painterly style in the present portrait differs from that in the few late works which were executed by Hals himself. The composition and the first sketch may have been created by the master himself. However, the broad brushstrokes, with their hard edges, are certainly not by him. These were probably painted by the assistant who was also involved in the execution of the Portrait of Herman Langelius (A4.3.51) and the Portrait of a preacher (A4.3.53). The accuracy of the portrait can be assessed in comparison with Guldewagen’s portrait in the group portrait Officers and sub-alterns of the St. George civic guard of c. 1642, by Pieter Soutman (c. 1593/1601-1657) [3][4]....

... is Guldewagen...

... the abovementioned Portrait of Cornelis Guldewagen. The entry in the sale ...

... s portraits, it had been overpainted at a later stage. The bare-headed sitter is visible still in a mezzotint by an anonymous engraver, created in England between 1...

... 26 cmStockholm, Hallwylska Museet, inv. no. XXXII:B.146.HWYThe collection catalogue characterizes this pai...

A4.3.11 - A4.3.24

... ented observation of fleeting moments. Altogether, this is quite an attractive artwork, which is consistent for this painter working in his father’s shadow. Based on the costume, the painting is datable to c. 1645....

... IS SVAE 24/ ANNO 1644 iHRaleigh, North Carolina Museum of Art, inv. no. 52.9.42An inspection of this painting under UV-light ...

... [1]. The difference between the present hand and a visually convincing rendering of a hand by Frans Hals, which is understood anatomically, even in a glove, can be demonstrated by a comparison with a detail from the 1644 Portrait of Joseph Coymans (A1.111)[2].5...

... uilders – equivalent to the top end of the known prices paid for pictures by his father.The traditional identification of the sitter as ‘Frau Schmale’ was based on the assumption that the portrait is a pendant to the signed painting by Jan Hals, known as ‘Herr Schmale’ (A4.3.22).6 However, the male portrait is dated 1648, and therefore unlikely to be the companion piece to this female portrait of 1644....

... e details. It is therefore conceivable that Hals sketched the face and delegated the finishing to an assistant. The clearly visible contour lines on the left cheek down to the chin, on the lower edge of both lower eyelids, and on the upper edge of the upper lip should also be seen in this context....

... , the facial shape is dependent on the model of Hals' Portrait of Adriaen van Ostade (A1.113). A comparison of the facial modelling in the two pictures certainly demonstrates a difference in manner of execution. However, the lower half of the present painting is comparable with the area of the arm and hands in the Portrait of Willem Coymans (A1.114). Moreover, the two folding edges of the sleeve and the extension of the collar edge in the diagonal fold in the sleeve, appear to be adopted from the same model [5]. Bearing in mind the unerring audacity in the hand of Willem Coymans, the timid imitation in this instance can only be attributed to a less experienced assistant. Overall, the execution of the fragile-looking, too narrow-shouldered figure has most in common with the Portrait of an unknown man, dated 1643 (A4.3.10)...

... 26-28 April 1977, lot 55The smooth execution of the face, hand and clothing, especially the contouring of the gloved han...

... y do not contribute to the realistic representation of the sitter. The execution of the hands clearly shows anatomical uncertainty; in the right hand, this it is combined with a coarse brushstroke. This mixture of hesitancy and boldness can also be found in signed portraits by Jan Hals, such as the 1644 Portrait of a man (A4.3.13)....

... is Symonsz. van der Schalcke, Portrait of a family, c. 1645-1648...

... me bold brushwork on the collars and cuffs, it lacks the sophisticated variation in brightness, and the spatial effect that Hals was able to suggest in such a masterly manner.14According to MacLaren's analysis, the landscape background was painted after the figures had been completed.15 The backdrop of trees behind the figures, which has darkened significantly, and the view into the open landscape on the left were designed by the same landscape specialist who also cooperated on the family portrait in Madrid (A4.3.24). Slive attributed this part to Pieter de Molijn (1595-1661), even though his colors are generally lighter and he rendered foliage and trees in a more delicate and rhythmically structured manner.16 Thanks to the availability of sharply detailed photographs of landscape paintings by Cornelis Symonsz. van der Schalcke (1617-1671), we can discern a high level of correspondence with this master’s style. In comparison with several signed and dated paintings by Van der Schalcke, we can observe the same relatively dark, green-grey-brown color of the empty landscape, and the heavily overcast sky that darkens towards the upper edge of the picture plane. The contour of the dune landscape, which slightly rises diagonally to the right, is also similar.17...

... ed hands somewhat resemble those in the Portrait of Maria Bastiaens van Hout, dated 1643(A3.45). However, a comparison with the virtuoso painterly treatment of comparable motifs in autograph painting by Frans Hals demonstrates t...

... tion of a label on the back of this painting, which identified the...

... leeway in the periphery, in the execution of the lower hand with the glove. The posture and the movement of the gaze are borrowed from Frans Hals the elder. The configuration wavering between attention to small details and lively brushwork shows the responsible workshop assistant was lacking in independence....

... man with his arm akimbo in Kansas City (A4.3.34), the Portrait of a lady with gloves in Haarlem (A4.3.37), the New York Portrait of a woman (A4.3.39), the Portrait of a young woman in Hull (A4.3.45), the Portrait of an unknown woman in Oxford (A4.3.50), the Boston Portrait of a preacher (A4.3.53), the family portraits in London and Madrid (4.3.20, A.4.3.25), as well as the Regentesses of the Old Men's Almshouse (A3.63). All of these paintings show similar contour lines and two-dimensionality. Based on an entirely different assessment of the works in this group – as executed by Frans Hals himself – Slive noted the stylistic similarity: ‘[…] analogous in treatment to a similar panel in the full skirt worn by the model who posed for the Portrait of a Woman in St. Louis’.22Two drawn copies after the present painting are still known today [11][12]....

... is Symonsz. van der Schalcke, Portrait of a family, possibly Jacob Ruychaver, Maria Hendrixs, their children Geertruid a...

... is visible in other works that shows the same hand: hands are blurred with little regard for proportions and wrists, and the facial features are reduced to the main contours. Other painting that have been executed by the same hand are the London family portrait (A4.3.19), and the large group of late works, including contributions to the Regents of the Old Men’s Almshouse (A3.62) and the Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse (A3.63). The style of the background landscape is identical to that in the London family portrait as well, particularly in the muddy brown and dark green tones. In addition, the two trees set off against the sky behind the figures are rendered in a similar style as the trees in a pair of river landscapes in the British Royal Collection [13].24 In the present painting, the landscape is not a mere accessory in the composition, but it displays an independent artistic expression that can only be found in the far reaching views in the landscapes by Cornelis Symonsz. van der Schalcke (1617-1671)....

A4.2.44 - A4.2.58

... ead is clearly emphasized, and the beret provides an attractive background. The profile of the boy is vaguely reminiscent of that of the boy in Two fisherboys (A3.30) and young boy in profile (A3.31)....

... e may refer back to the original composition of the abovementioned painting (A4.2.44), or to a common model that served as the basis for both artworks. The present painting could have been created in Hals’s workshop, or perhaps much later....

... 26 x 20.3 cm, monogrammed lower right: FHIndianapolis, private collectionBecause of the technique and si...

... isherman with a fur cap and a basket, c. 1640-1650...

... is composition have been preserved, with varying content of the basket, such as a cat or freshly caught prawns (A4.2.46a, A4...

... isherman with a basket of prawns...

... is des Beaux-Arts), 14 December 1953, lot 29...

... isherman with a basket with a cat...

... oft application of paint of the 1620s, in its cooler tonality, more planar character and unblended brushwork. It displays brushstrokes that do not connect with the three-dimensional surface of the figure as naturally as in the earlier picture and other autograph works by Hals. Even less convincing is the foreshortening of the arm reaching towards the viewer. Here, we have a similarly flat hand as in the Portrait of a young actor (A4.2.52). The manner of execution in the Louvre painting, which emphasizes contours, largely matches with the main group of workshop pictures that can be attributed to Frans Hals the Younger (1618-1669). Even if the signature is in an unusual location, the date of 1640 is consistent with the tonality and style of Hals’s works from this period. The modelling of the face and the expansive composition would imply that a preparatory study or a ricordo of the Merry lute player was preserved in Hals’s workshop and functioned as a source of inspiration....

... n white paint appear as a sketch for a picture on a panel placed on the easel which is cut off on the right....

... read. The fabric of the sleeve and the chest area are patterned in this version....

... entrated on the main contours. The sitter holds a carnation in his right hand....

... ches the brisk, but slightly clumsy, style of painting that can be observed in some works by Hals’s assistants....

... 26.5 x 20.5 cm, monogrammed center right: FHSale London (Sotheby’s), 17 May 1989, lot 50Just as the prec...

... is right, c. 1640-1645...

... drawn than painted. The figures are represented with disproportional anatomy and a flat and angular appearan...

... ist, c. 1645-1648...

... icture by a 15th century turban-style headdress.The monogram on the right is old, but possibly not the original one, which could have been added further to the side. During the format change it may have been moved toward the center of the picture. It has a striking shape, which, interestingly enough, is identical to the monogram in the abovementioned Young man playing the flute....

... t and dashed contours of the face and hands, and the angular highlights in the fabric folds at the shoulder and on the sleeve create neither a clear spatial effect, nor do they give an impression of capturing a moment in time. It would be interesting to know how much the master Hals was involved in this assistant’s work....

... veryday character only appears again in the late 19th century, but by then it is in an artificial and sentimental way. In my view, the present painting is a product from Hals’s workshop, where portrait-like representations of rough folk-types were created in parallel to the peasant and tavern subjects f...

... is hat, c. 1640-1650...

... re. The strong contour lines and brushstrokes display a routinely manner of depiction which was probably used in this way to quickly finish a painting. Stylistically, there is a similarity to the Portrait of an unknown man, dated 1650, which is also rendered with these typical long brushstrokes (A4.3.32)....

... es in this painting are reminiscent of the handling in some representations of fisherchildren. The increasingly planar representation and the cool overall tonal...

... osition and coarse painterly style, which dissolves into a few short brushstrokes, are reminiscent of the paintings of the fisherchildren, but less three-dimensional. The handling can also be related to Profile of a laughing boy (A4.2.43) and Profi...

... scent of Adriaen van Ostade, who was a student of Hals from 1627 on. However, since all of the extant figurative works attributed to him are small in scale and there are no comparable tronies known by his hand, an attribution to him cannot be sufficiently substantiated.8...

... direct involvement. It has not yet been clarified whether the monogram here is part of the original paint layer and should therefore be recognized as a workshop mark, or whether it was added later. Accordingly, the authorship of both paintings is listed here as 'workshop or follower of Frans Hals'.9 ...

... thus seems likely that a painted modello for this motif existed in the Hals workshop. At the same time, however, the pinched smile and awkward pose of the boy are as far removed from Hals as is the angular rendering of the facial shadows, fingers and cuff....

A4.2.31 - A4.2.43

... its echo in Malle Babbe and a smoker (B18), which combines motifs derived from several artists. Judging from the expansive depiction of fish, the latter painting was probably created shortly after the New York piece, in the workshop of Abraham van Beijeren (c. 1620/1621-1690), and thus most likely not in Haarlem. A further historical benchmark is provided by the engraving by Louis Bernhard Coclers (1741-1817) [2], created after the New York Malle Babbe. It is inscribed:‘Fr. Halls pinxt. L. B. Coclers sculpt. Babel of Haarlem, To you, your owl is a falcon. O Babel! I am glad of it.Play with a fake doll. You are not alone’.1Finally, the picture’s entry into the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York must be mentioned here. It was exhibited in the museum from 1871 onwards, and later on copied by Frank Duveneck (1848-1919).2...

... this person illustrate the range of simultaneous depictions of the same subject in varying qualities in the Hals workshop.A comparison with the subsequent painting (A4.2.33) indicates that the composition of the present picture was partly overpainted at some point. In the process, the clay pipe in the woman’s hand was covered. A last remnant of the motif can be seen in the peculiarly turned lower edge of the neck scarf. Also, the faint smoke rings remain visible. Hofstede de Groot noted that the background had been completely overpainted, an observation which could have been prompted by the same reworking process.3...

... l with the version in Lille (A4.2.32), and is rendered in a slightly coarser manner. T...

... hlights and the shadow lines on the clothing, as well as the dissolving hands are reminiscent of the Fishergirl with a basket on her head in Cincinnati (A4.2.23). The facial features are based on the vari...

... cution recalls the Girl with the straw hat (A4.2.36). The open collar and the area of the hair differ most notably from Hals’s style. But the modelling of the face also shows a soft brushstroke with dry, chalky paint – without the edges that are typical in Hals’s work. In the face, short bright lines stand out from the brushwork, which are likewise inconsistent with Hals’s manner....

... ured something comparable from the same motifs, about 150 years later.5Hofrichter attributed the present painting to Judith Leyster (1609-1660).6 However, I see a more confident artist’s hand at work here, with a more painterly approach. As I do not have a solution for the question of authorship, I can only note that one of Hals’s most talented pupils must have been the painter of this independent study from life....

... al in her social importance, but rather a genre painting in which a type of person has been represented. In this case, the woman is most probably a prostitute, with a red flower in her voluminous hair. Hals’s characterization of figures on the fringes of society shows them in action and with lively facial expressions, but also as examples of uninhibited life and devotion to sensual pleasure. The merry tavern waitress (A1.14) and the young woman with her mischievous smile (A1.43) are the closest examples for such depictions of women. However, the present picture lacks the tangible emotional and momentaneous impression of the two autograph works by Hals. In this respect, Hals’s typical pictorial psychology is absent, or not yet sufficiently pronounced in this unfinished picture, of which the modelling in the face and the left hand suggests a dating of c. 1640....

... dendrochronological and technical examination of the entire group of profile sketches (the present pair and cat.no. A4.2.40), it is impossible to be more precise....

... precisely placed highlights in autograph works by Frans Hals and from smoother works by his workshop. All the more surprising is the considerable price of 3050 marks that was achieved at the 1892 auction for this picture, which is hardly larger than a man’s hand....

... isherboy, c. 1640-1650...

... t Collection ‘Am Römerholz’, inv.no. 81This dark representation in coarse brushstr...

... isherboy...

... 26 cmMaastricht/London, Robert Noortman GalleryThe angular contouring and modelling of the folds and creas...

... y 1640s. I do not have concrete indications whether Frans Hals was involved in an initial design himself, or whether the energetic first sketch was done by the executing assistant. A variant of this profile study was sold at auction in 2012.12 A larger, oval shaped variant was with Gallery Brod in London by 1970 and now in a private collection in the United States.13...