Frans Hals: A Dutch Painter with Flemish Roots

Presented by Dr Sophie Oosterwijk

Frans Hals is one of the best-loved painters of the Dutch Golden Age, with his Laughing Cavalier one of the highlights of the Wallace Collection. The Frans Hals Museum is in Haarlem, but the artist was born in Antwerp from which his family fled north to escape war and persecution.
We know little about Hals’s life: he married twice and had a large family. He was popular yet constantly experienced financial difficulties. Hals specialised in people: portraits of wealthy burghers, but also merry drinkers and naughty children. His virtuoso brushwork and joie de vivre make his sitters still seem alive centuries later.

Dates and Locations

Tuesday 22 July 2025 Canberra (ACT)

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