Dutch Masters: Frans Hals Style

Frans Hals is generally considered to be one of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age, along with his better known compatriots Vermeer and Rembrandt. I hope this LoRA has captured some of the spirit of his masterful style 😅. I personally consider him second to none among portrait painters.

Have fun with the LoRA. If you post your first image directly here (click on "Add Post" above the gallery), I will give you 10 buzz for that image 😎 (If I forgot, just complain loudly 😹)

if you want rougher, more colorful brush strokes, try using the LoRA with Impasto Oil Painting Style. See this post for example.

For a sample of his work, go to https://www.wikiart.org/en/frans-hals

Excerpts from the economist article Why did a once-revered painter, Frans Hals, fall out of favour?

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The artist was Frans Hals, who is the subject of a new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. (A different version was previously shown at the National Gallery in London.) Hals, who died in 1666, was among the most celebrated portraitists in Holland. He was renowned for his technique, which created shimmering effects at a distance but left his dynamic brush strokes visible from up close—a style resembling that of Rubens (whom he knew) and, later, Rembrandt.

Such roughness fell out of favour, but in 1868 Hals’s reputation was resurrected by Théophile Thoré-Bürger, an influential French journalist. Around the same time Thoré-Bürger wrote effusively about a then little-known Dutch artist whose work he had seen in The Hague: Johannes Vermeer.

At the turn of the 20th century Hals, Rembrandt and Vermeer were considered equals, the “big three” of the Dutch Golden Age. Yet Hals does not have the same standing today. Most people know Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”; few would recognise “The Regentesses”. Following big exhibitions of Rembrandt and Vermeer, the Rijksmuseum’s show of Hals’s paintings tries to repair that neglect. Its 50-odd works include rarely seen paintings from private collections and several portraits of couples that normally hang separately.

Hals’s burghers grin, smirk and exchange knowing glances. In one double portrait, a merchant and his wife emerge from the woods glowing with suggestive joy. Another merchant wryly tilts his chair back on two legs. The sumptuously clad nobleman known as the “The Laughing Cavalier”, whose portrait helped resurrect Hals’s fame when it was bought in 1865 for a then extravagant 51,000 French francs (roughly $230,000 in today’s money), looks down with amused satisfaction.

Why did Hals’s reputation ever wane? One explanation is that in an age of ubiquitous snapshots, people had less appreciation for one of Hals’s great strengths: his ability to convey fleeting expressions, especially smiles. These are tricky to pull off, with wrinkled eyes and curled lips, and most artists of the period avoided them.

image: Musée du Louvre

This skill with momentary gestures appealed to the Impressionists. Hals spent a lot of time in bars, and his actors, musicians and street types boast swinging arms and gap-toothed grins. Scans show Hals used no preliminary sketches. But the camera may have made his extraordinary technique seem less valuable, according to Taco Dibbits, the Rijksmuseum’s director: “Photography and film took over the need to depict movement.”

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Please tell me about Frans Hals

ChatGPT said:

Frans Hals (c. 1582/83 – August 26, 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter renowned for his lively and innovative portraits that vividly capture the character and dynamism of his subjects. He was one of the most important portraitists of 17th-century Dutch art and a master of the loose, expressive brushwork that influenced later artists such as Vincent van Gogh and the Impressionists.

Life

• Birth and Early Years: Hals was born in Antwerp, but his family moved to Haarlem in the Northern Netherlands around 1585, likely fleeing the turmoil of the Eighty Years' War. Haarlem remained his home for the rest of his life.

• Training: He studied under Karel van Mander, a painter and writer known for his book on the lives of artists, which was influential in the Dutch art world.

• Career: Hals joined Haarlem's painters' guild in 1610 and gained prominence for his innovative approach to portraiture.

Artistic Style

Hals is celebrated for his spontaneous and fluid technique, which gave his works an unmatched vitality. His portraits often appear as if the subjects are caught in a fleeting moment, with relaxed poses and expressive faces. This dynamic style set him apart from many of his contemporaries, who often favored more formal and static compositions.

Key elements of Hals' style include:

• Loose Brushwork: He used visible, energetic strokes, which impart a sense of movement and life.

• Lively Composition: Hals captured his subjects with informal, naturalistic poses and often a sense of interaction or humor.

• Chiaroscuro: He employed dramatic contrasts of light and shadow to add depth and focus to his portraits.

Notable Works

Some of Frans Hals' most celebrated works include:

• Laughing Cavalier (1624): A vibrant and playful portrait of a confident man.

• The Jolly Drinker (c. 1628–1630): A genre-like portrait depicting a jovial man raising his glass.

• The Regents and Regentesses of the Old Men's Almshouse (1664): Group portraits notable for their psychological depth and subtle portrayal of aging and authority.

• Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard (1616): A dynamic group portrait showcasing his ability to capture multiple figures in action.

Legacy

Although Hals fell into relative obscurity after his death, his work was rediscovered in the 19th century and is now recognised for its groundbreaking qualities. His influence is evident in the works of later painters who admired his bold brushwork and lively characterizations.

Today, many of Hals' paintings are housed in major art museums, including the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, which is dedicated to his works and the broader art of the Dutch Golden Age.

Why is he not as famous as Vermeer and Rembrandt?

Frans Hals, while highly regarded, is not as universally famous as Johannes Vermeer or Rembrandt van Rijn due to several factors that influenced his historical reputation and visibility:

1. Subject Matter and Appeal

• Frans Hals: His focus was primarily on portraiture, including individual, group, and genre-like portraits. While technically masterful, his subjects were often local townsfolk, civic leaders, or genre figures, which may not resonate as universally as the themes explored by Vermeer or Rembrandt.

• Vermeer: Known for his intimate and poetic domestic scenes, Vermeer’s work carries a timeless appeal, often focusing on quiet moments that evoke a deep emotional response. The rarity of his output (only around 35 known works) also adds to his mystique.

• Rembrandt: His dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), profound psychological depth, and ability to tackle a wide range of subjects—from portraits and biblical scenes to landscapes—give him a broader and more monumental appeal.

2. Artistic Evolution

• Hals’ style, though groundbreaking, remained relatively consistent throughout his career. His loose, energetic brushwork is distinctive but may not show the dramatic evolution or breadth that characterized Rembrandt’s or Vermeer’s output.

• Rembrandt, in particular, underwent significant stylistic changes over his career, from the luminous and detailed early works to the deeply introspective and raw paintings of his later years, offering a narrative of personal and artistic growth.

3. Posthumous Reputation

• Hals: After his death, Hals’ work fell into obscurity for several centuries. His loose brushwork was seen as unfinished or careless in comparison to the smooth and polished styles that gained favor during the 18th century.

• Vermeer: Vermeer also fell into obscurity but was rediscovered in the 19th century with great acclaim due to his rarity and the poetic quality of his work.

• Rembrandt: Rembrandt’s fame never entirely faded; he has always been recognized as one of the giants of Western art.

4. Market and Scholarly Attention

• Hals’ paintings, especially his portraits, were often tied to local patrons and Haarlem institutions. This regional focus limited their exposure compared to Vermeer and Rembrandt, whose works were acquired by more prominent collectors and circulated internationally.

• Vermeer’s rediscovery coincided with the rise of art historical scholarship that celebrated the Dutch Golden Age, while Rembrandt’s dramatic narratives appealed to Romantic sensibilities in the 19th century.

5. Cultural Symbolism

• Rembrandt is often seen as a symbol of the Dutch Golden Age, embodying its artistic and cultural zenith.

• Vermeer has been romanticized as a “painter of light” with a small but perfect oeuvre, lending him an air of exclusivity and mystique.

• Hals, while appreciated for his technical brilliance and lively compositions, doesn’t carry the same symbolic weight or mystique as the other two.

6. Accessibility

• Hals’ work is primarily housed in Dutch museums, particularly in the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, which might make it less accessible to international audiences compared to Vermeer and Rembrandt, whose works are found in major museums worldwide.

In recent decades, Hals’ reputation has grown, and art historians and critics increasingly recognise his importance and influence, particularly his contribution to portraiture and expressive brushwork. While he may not yet have the broad popular appeal of Vermeer or Rembrandt, Hals remains a towering figure in art history.