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. Frans Hals (Antwerpen
1582 83-Haarlem 1666)
