Major monograph on this pioneer of modernity

Frans Hals is one of the most important portrait painters of all time. He was the first artist in Holland to paint social outsiders and genre figures as well as the middle classes, thus giving hitherto unknown visibility to marginalized groups in society. Hals’ works are characterized by an unusual liveliness and apt characterization. His sketch-like paintings, executed with loose, bold brushstrokes, had a decisive influence on modernist painting.

In addition to a large selection of paintings by Hals, the comprehensive catalogue accompanying the Berlin exhibition also shows works by those around him and situates him as an exceptional figure in the context of his time. Among the 70 works illustrated and presented with concise catalog entries are around 50 of Hals’ most important paintings from collections in Europe, the USA and Canada—including highlights such as Isaac Abrahamsz. Massa and Beatrix van der Laen from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Young Man with a Skull from the National Gallery in London and The Lute Player from the Musée du Louvre in Paris.