Frans Hals at the National Gallery review

Frans Hals (1582-1666), one of the most famous and sought-after Baroque portraitists, was born in Antwerp but lived and worked in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The National Gallery is currently hosting the first major retrospective of this esteemed artist in more than 30 years. Here, art lovers, both old and new, can witness and discover the mastery of Frans Hals, known for his extraordinary brushstrokes, and understand why he was loved and admired by artists like Monet and Van Gogh.

Image: Frans Hals. The Laughing Cavalier, 1624, oil on canvas, The Wallace Collection, London.

This exhibition sheds light on this important artist (usually overshadowed by his contemporary Rembrandt), on the quality of his masterpieces, and on life in the 17th century through the large group portraits, marriage portraits, and 17th-century life scenes adorning the walls of the National Gallery.

Wealthy merchants, with and without their families, political figures, guards, fruit sellers, musicians—all have been painted by Frans Hals, and we have these gems to ourselves for the next few months. This great master’s work is recognisable by his brushstrokes, the quick but elaborate details of his sitters’ attire—those laces, their smiles, their stares, their relaxed composure, and the use of the colour black—a black that is rich, vivid, and bright, not sad and austere. The Laughing Cavalier has even travelled from the Wallace Collection for the first time since 1900 for this very special occasion. These extraordinary paintings, large and small, have been specifically selected from national and international collections, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Wallace Collection, The Royal Collection, the Frans Hals Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, and the National Gallery itself, among many others, to show us who Frans Hals was. It is simply a divine and well-curated exhibition.

Image: Frans Hals. Portrait of Pieter Dircksz Tjarck, c. 1635, oil on canvas. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the Ahmanson Foundation, California.

He truly was a genius, possibly even pioneering photography before its official invention. One need only look at his paintings to realise I am not exaggerating! Take a stroll through this exhilarating exhibition and immerse yourself in some of the most elegant, detailed, and glorious portraits ever brought together for us to thoroughly enjoy.

Date: 30 September 2022 - 21 January 2024; Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-9pm; Location: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN; Price: £20, concessions available. Book now.

Words by Massoumeh Safinia