About the Artist

Frans Hals spent most of his working life in Haarlem. Around 1602 he studied with the painter and writer Karel van Mander (1548-1606), and in 1610 he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke, over which he presided in 1644. In his painting, Hals concentrated on the human image, becoming an incorruptible portrayer of the Dutch bourgeoisie. Initially he confined himself to the Dutch painting tradition of the 16th century, but later, with his sharp eye for observation and lively power of expression, he developed a realistic manner of portrayal free of Italian elements. His work constitutes the first high point of Dutch painting, and at the same time, represents the beginning of an independent national style. His works include Banquet of the Officers of St. George Rifle Club, 1616, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, The Prodigal Son, 1623, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and Man with Soft Hat, c. 1664, Hessisches Landes Museum Kassel.