Art

Frans Hals: the Everlasting Avant-Gardist

Frans Hals, a painter who met a humble end in the late 17th century, only to be rediscovered in the 19th century, now draws almost half a million tickets in advance sales at Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam. With his nearly 200 works, Hals is a portrait maestro. That’s it. Van Gogh thought so too. His technique is simple, but with playful brushstrokes on a palette of a few colors – art on a modest scale. But what sets him apart from other artists of his time, is his deep understanding of the specific Dutch environment he portrayed. His success lies in the warmth he depicted in various ways. It’s a warmth that resonates with the realities of the modern world. His signature expressions are smiles and laughter. People in his paintings smile, some subtly, while others burst into hearty laughter. Yet, these simple gestures are vibrant, radiating instant energy. Even the wealthy characters, those thirsty for glory, weighed down by their powerful clothing, crack a smile.           Frans Hals: A Modern Figure of his time But who exactly was Frans Hals, really? Do we even know what he looked like? Apparently, throughout his work, he was found […]