Nigel Ip

I confess. I don’t actually have very much to say about Frans Hals at the National Gallery.

This lovely show essentially completes the smaller Wallace Collection exhibition from a couple years ago, which focused exclusively on male portraits. Here, several of those same works have been reunited with their pendants – some for the first time ever – in a wider, chronological survey of Hals’ artistic output.

The paintings have ample space to breathe in the gallery’s large rooms, aiding in our appreciation of the sitters’ attire, various postures, and size and scale of Hals’ works, from little tronies to massive guild portraits.

Vincent van Gogh famously wrote that ‘Frans Hals must have had twenty-seven shades of black’ and this is immediately obvious in the first room. In fact, he seems to have adopted quite a restrained palette of blacks, whites, oranges, browns, and light blues. In group portraits, it’s impossible not to notice the matrix of black shoes and shadows. The most colourful components tend to be his still lifes.

I think Hals would have been wonderful to sit for. His sitters frequently interact with props, pose on tilted chairs, and generally seem quite jolly (or drunk). One can only imagine the conversations that were exchanged in his studio. He clearly had preferred, perhaps even standardised poses to ensure a swift modelling session. His female sitters seem a little uneasy, however, as if they were pressured into having their portrait done by their other half.

This exhibition demonstrates Hals as an excellent portraitist, capable of imbuing his sitters with a fine blend of dignity and approachableness. His inventiveness was as varied as the cast of characters that surrounded him, and there is a general feeling that everyone and any moment was worth depicting. But when it was time to be serious, you could absolutely rely on Hals to paint you in a monumental stance that shows off your well-groomed moustache and enviable long legs.

The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Frans Hals runs until 21 January 2024 at the National Gallery, London, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/