- 1. Frans Hals (c. 1582/1584-1666)
The Laughing Horseman1624
Oil on canvas – 83 x 67.3 cm
London, The Wallace Collection
Photo: The Wallace Collection
-
See the image on his page
Regulars of the Dutch museum’s exhibitions will not be disappointed: first and foremost it is the absolute joy of the painting, the dazzling freedom of the touch, an admirable virtuosity in the complexions as well as the drapes, in short the (re ) discovery of a – very – great artist. Such clichés come back to life as well as the effigies of all these 17th century characters whose names – when they are known – are hardly famous, unlike the aristocratic portraits in which, for example, Velázquez excelled. That of Frans Hals is a little less so today than in his time or in the 19th century, when the 4th Marquess of Hertford uprooted The Laughing Horseman under the nose and beard of James de Rothschild during the Pourtalès sale of 1865. Any self-respecting retrospective naturally dreams of exhibiting the best-known painting by its artist and one can imagine how delighted the Rijksmuseum is to having brought back to the country this young man with the dashing mustache (ill. 1) who is no more laughing than a certain Scribe is crouching.
These heritage reunions give all the flavor to an exhibition which often takes the form of a family reunion, like an echo of that which was celebrated in Toledo then in Paris via Brussels between autumn 2018 and summer 2019 (see the brief from 9/3/19) but of which we can re-read the rich little catalog which focuses on the place of the family portrait in the work of Frans Hals. The Rijksmuseum instead strives to present to the widest possible public an almost complete panorama of its production, in conditions conducive to contemplation inspired by the success of its previous prestigious exhibitions, even if Hals does not have the aura of Vermeer (see the article) nor other magic names that ensure…
To access this content, you must subscribe to The Art Tribune. The advantages and conditions of this subscription, which will also allow you to support The Art Tribune, are described on the subscription page. If you wish to test the subscription, you can subscribe for one month (at €8) and if this does not suit you, ask us by a simple email to unsubscribe (at least ten days before the next debit).
If you are already a subscriber, log in using this form.
