Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast

John Bezold
Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast

On each episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings–The Podcast', American-Dutch art historian and Hals scholar John Bezold investigates and discusses the oeuvre of this celebrated artist from the Dutch Golden Age. Eternally overshadowed by his more famous painting peers, Rembrandt and Vermeer; this podcast seeks to discover–and share–why Frans Hals' paintings, and their brushwork, have captivated viewers for centuries.

  1. Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1626

    JAN 8

    Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1626

    In the 19th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. 1626 'Portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz Massa', which is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 21, in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number 30, in his 1989. It was accepted by Wilhelm von Bode, Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, and William Valentiner. It has been included in the all of the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century, as well as in those of the twenty-first. Prior to its acquisition by the Art Gallery of Ontario, in 1955, it had been in the collection of John Spencer (1924-1992), father of Diana Princess of Wales. The painting features a seated man depicted in a three-quarter view, turned slightly to his left, his face angled toward the viewer. The subject is clad in a richly textured black garment, adorned with subtle patterns that add visual depth. Around his neck, he wears an extravagant white ruff collar, its intricate lacework radiating outward in soft folds that frame his face. Its landscaped background—on suggestion of Seymour Slive, and his proposal for who painted it—has ignited a debate in Hals studies about hals’ landscapes; a conversation that has continued since talk of someone helping with Hals' landscapes was first discussed by Wilhelm von Bode, in 1922. Read Claus Grimm’s 2024 article about Hals’ landscapes and his proposal of Gerrit Bleker being the one who created them within several of Hals' paintings, published in Old Holland. Read Wilhelm von Bode’s 1922 article 'Frans Hals als Landschafter'. You can find John on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@johnbezold⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at his website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnbezold.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Semicolon-Press.

    14 min
  2. Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1660s

    11/14/2024

    Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1660s

    In the 18th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. early-1660s portrait of Issac Abrahamsz Massa, which is in the collection of the Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, in Kassel, Germany. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 217, in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number 145, in his of 1989. The portrait was included in the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century of 1937, 1962, and in Haarlem in 1990. Issac is portrayed with Hals' characteristic swift, confident brushstrokes: a muted and muddled color palette defines the work, with deep blacks and earthy tones, subtly punctuated by the crisp white collar, which serves to frame the subject's face and draw the viewer's eye to his, slightly mischievous expression. The relaxed pose, with one arm draped over the back of a chair, is quintessentially Hals, reflecting his ability to break from formality and imbue his portraits with a candid, conversational quality that distinguishes his work from that of his contemporaries. Often considered an anomaly, though nearly entrancing when spending prolonged period of looking at the painting in person; this portrait from Hals' last years of his career, and life, displays the mature techniques he had by then refined, concerning contours and borders—which imbues the work with a complex layering of paint, creating 'foggy', vector-like expanses on the canvas. Learn more about Issac Abrahamsz Massa. You can find John on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@johnbezold⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at his website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnbezold.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Semicolon-Press.

    10 min
  3. The Lute Player

    09/01/2024

    The Lute Player

    In the 17th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. 1620s work titled The Lute Player, which is in the collection of the Louvre. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 19, in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number 24, in his 1989. It was accepted by Wilhelm von Bode, Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, and William Valentiner. It was included in the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century of 1937 and 1989-1990, though only in London for the latter. Prior to its acquisition by the Louvre in 1984, it had been in the collection of Gustave de Rothschild (1929-1911). In this painting, a young man, likely a jester or musician, is depicted in a dynamic, three-quarter view. He is dressed in a vibrant costume consisting of red and black stripes, with red tassels and golden ornaments adorning his attire. The work is one of Hals' few paintings that have transcended his oeuvre to become part of popular culture during his own and current times, and the works is best known as being present in the Leiden painter David Bailly's (1584-1957) self portrait, which dates from c. 1651. View the work over on the website of the Louvre. View David Bailly's self-portrait on the website of the Lakenhal. You can find John on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@johnbezold⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at his website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnbezold.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Semicolon-Press.

    9 min
  4. Claes Duyst van Voorhout

    06/16/2024

    Claes Duyst van Voorhout

    In the 14th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. 1630s portrait of Claes Duyst van Voorhout, which is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 119, in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number 81, in his 1989. It was accepted by Wilhelm von Bode, Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, and William Valentiner. It was included in the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century of 1937 and 1989-1990, though only in Washington for the latter. Claes Duyst van Voorhout is depicted in a three-quarter view, standing against a plain, dark background that highlights his figure and attire. He is dressed in a dark, elaborately designed doublet, richly textured, and adorned with intricate gold embroidery. The details of the garment, including the ornate buttons and the subtle play of light on the fabric, showcase Hals's mastery in rendering different materials with striking realism. Learn more about fashion in seventeenth-century European paintings, see Emilie E.S. Gordenker's 2002 dissertation in book form published by Brepols, Van Dyck and the Representation of Dress in Seventeenth-Century Portraiture. Read a review of the book, by Julia Marciari Alexander in the Burlington Magazine, from 2004. You can find John on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠@johnbezold⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at his website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnbezold.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Semicolon-Press.

    10 min

About

On each episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings–The Podcast', American-Dutch art historian and Hals scholar John Bezold investigates and discusses the oeuvre of this celebrated artist from the Dutch Golden Age. Eternally overshadowed by his more famous painting peers, Rembrandt and Vermeer; this podcast seeks to discover–and share–why Frans Hals' paintings, and their brushwork, have captivated viewers for centuries.

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada