,transcriber's ,note3 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible4 ,scherijver has been changed to ,schrijver at each occurrence4 ,italic text has been marked with underscores4 ,,oe ligatures have been expanded4 ,,masterpieces ,,in ,,colour ,,edited ,,by-- ,t4 ,,leman ,,hare ,,franz ,,hals ,,in ,,the ,,same ,,series ,,artist4 ,,author4 ,,velazquez4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,reynolds4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,turner4 ,c4 ,,lewis ,,hind4 ,,romney4 ,c4 ,,lewis ,,hind4 ,,greuze4 ,,alys ,,eyre ,,macklin4 ,,botticelli4 ,,henry ,b4 ,,binns4 ,,rossetti4 ,,lucien ,,pissarro4 ,,bellini4 ,,george ,,hay4 ,,fra ,,angelico4 ,,james ,,mason4 ,,rembrandt4 ,,josef ,,israels4 ,,leighton4 ,a4 ,,lys ,,baldry4 ,,raphael4 ,,paul ,g4 ,,konody4 ,,holman ,,hunt4 ,,mary ,e4 ,,coleridge4 ,,titian4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,millais4 ,a4 ,,lys ,,baldry4 ,,carlo ,,dolci4 ,,george ,,hay4 ,,gainsborough4 ,,max ,,rothschild4 ,,tintoretto4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,luini4 ,,james ,,mason4 ,,franz ,,hals4 ,,edgcumbe ,,staley4 ,in ,preparation ,,van ,,dyck4 ,,percy ,m4 ,,turner4 ,,whistler4 ,t4 ,,martin ,,wood4 ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci4 ,m4 ,w4 ,,brockwell4 ,,rubens4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,burne-,,jones4 ,a4 ,,lys ,,baldry4 ,j4 ,f4 ,,millet4 ,,percy ,m4 ,,turner4 ,,chardin4 ,,paul ,g4 ,,konody4 ,,fragonard4 ,c4 ,,haldane ,,macfall4 ,,holbein4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,boucher4 ,c4 ,,haldane ,,macfall4 ,,vig,e ,,le ,,brun4 ,c4 ,,haldane ,,macfall4 ,,watteau4 ,c4 ,,lewis ,,hind4 ,,murillo4 ,s4 ,l4 ,,bensusan4 ,,and ,,others4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i4--,,the ,,laughing ,,cavalier4 ,frontispiece 7,wallace ,collection1 ,london7 ,painted in #afbd4 ,hals called it ,portrait of an ,officer1 and why1 and how1 it gained its present title1 no one knows4 ,on the back of the canvas we read--,aeta ,su #bf ,ao4 #afbd4 ,the officer is not laughing2 he is merely showing good conceit of himself in particular1 and disdain of the world in general6 ,it is a rare study in expression1 now a scowl1 now a leer1 alternating as one looks upon the handsome young face4 ,whilst the details of the costume are as rich as may be1 the colours are few and beautifully blended1 a tour de force in technical skill4 ,the picture was purchased by its original owner1 ,mijnheer ,m4 ,meuwlehuys of ,haarlem1 for #hj2 at the ,pourtals sale1 in #ahfe1 ,sir ,richard ,wallace gave #bjdj for it4 ,franz ,hals ,,by ,,edgcumbe ,,staley ,,illustrated ,,with ,,eight ,,reproductions ,,in ,,colour ,illustration ,,london3 ,t4 ,c4 ,e4 ,c4 ,,jack ,,new ,,york3 ,,frederick ,a4 ,,stokes ,,co4 ,,foreword ,franz ,hals was a great painter2 for truth of character1 indeed1 he was the greatest painter that ever existed4444 ,he made no beauties1 his portraits are of people such as we meet every day in the streets4444 ,he possessed one great advantage over many other men--his mechanical power was such that he was able to hit off a portrait on the instant4 ,he was able to shoot the bird flying--so to speak--with all its freshness about it1 which even ,titian does not seem to have done4444 ,if ,i had wanted an exact likeness ,i should have preferred ,franz ,hals4 ,so said ,james ,northcote1 the ,royal ,academician1 talking with his friend ,james ,ward1 upon ,art and artists1 in the little back parlour of his humble dwelling1 #ci ,argyll ,street1 long ago absorbed in the premises of a great drapery establishment4 ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,plate ,i4 ,the ,laughing ,cavalier ,frontispiece ,wallace ,collection1 ,london ,page ,,ii4 ,old ,hille ,bobbe #ad ,royal ,museum1 ,berlin ,,iii4 ,the ,merry ,trio #bd ,in ,america 7a copy by ,dirk ,hals1 ,royal ,museum1 ,berlin7 ,,iv4 ,franz ,hals and his ,wife #cd ,rijks ,museum1 ,amsterdam ,v4 ,the ,officers of the ,shooting ,guild of ,st ,adriaen #dj ,town ,hall1 ,haarlem ,,vi4 ,the ,jolly ,mandolinist 7,der ,naar7 #ej ,collection of ,baron ,g4 ,rothschild1 ,paris 7a copy by ,dirk ,halls in ,rijks ,museum1 ,amsterdam7 ,,vii4 ,the ,market ,girl 7,la ,bohmienne7 #fj ,louvre ,gallery1 ,paris ,,viii4 ,nurse and ,child #gj ,royal ,museum1 ,berlin ,illustration3 ,picture of ,hals ,hals was an ancient and honourable patrician family1 intimately connected with ,haarlem for well-nigh three hundred years4 ,the name first appears in the annals of the city in #acej1 and again and again individuals bearing it held the offices of ,burgomaster1 ,treasurer1 and ,schepen--,alderman or ,magistrate4 ,pieter ,claes ,hals1 ,franz' father1 was appointed a magistrate in #aege4 ,in #aegg he was one of the ,regenten1 or ,governors of the city ,orphanage1 and in #aegh he became ,president of that famous institution4 ,his profession has not been indicated1 but that he was a loyal and influential citizen is proved by his holding a command in the garrison which so heroically defended the city against the ,spaniards in #aegb4 ,wholesale pillage by the hated invader1 however1 reduced many a wealthy burgher family to penury1 and compelled them to seek the recovery of their fortunes elsewhere4 ,the venerable city of ,antwerp1 by reason of the enterprise of her merchants1 offered great attractions4 ,thither fled many a ,haarlemer1 and among them went forth ,mijnheer ,schepen ,hals and his newly married wife4 ,it must have been a great trial to domesticated ,lysbeth ,coper to have to pack up what was left of their household crocks and seek a new home4 ,it was in the spring of #aegi1 a little more than a year after their wedding day1 that they started upon their journey4 ,they made first for ,mechlin1 where a branch of the family was settled1 and they were welcomed with cordial hospitality by their relatives4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ii4--,,old ,,hille ,,bobbe 7,royal ,museum1 ,berlin7 ,painted in #afej4 ,this ancient1 wrinkled dame was what they call in seaport towns a sailor's mother1 rather a dubious compliment to mariners6 ,she was a merry toper1 like many of ,hals' companions1 and went from tavern to tavern to get a drink4 ,her real name was ,alle1 or ,alice ,boll--easily transposed4 ,the owl is probably a painter's skit of the screeching1 scolding old hussy6 ,the portrait is quite remarkable for poverty of colour4 ,franz was out of funds and out of paints1 but he has made the old bloodless flesh look like life4 ,he often painted her3 he loved her odd look1 if he liked not well her scorn6 ,one whole year the couple spent in the city of lace1 and a little son was born to them1 whom they registered in the name of ,dirk4 ,the greater opportunities offered to labour and capital in the city on the ,scheldt1 however1 were so evident1 that they once more packed up their goods and chattels and resumed their pilgrimage4 ,antwerp was already renowned as an ,art city--its painters and engravers were of wide world fame2 and ,pieter ,claes ,hals1 in full possession of certain artistic proclivities of his family1 considered that he might more profitably make use of them there4 ,besides this1 another branch of the family was established in ,antwerp1 and members thereof were in good positions4 ,the journey from ,mechlin1 short as it was1 partook of the pathetic character of that of ,joseph and ,mary to ,bethlehem1 inasmuch as they were no sooner housed in temporary lodgings than ,mevrouw ,lysbeth brought into the world another little son4 ,vincenzius ,laurenszoon ,van der ,vinne--a devoted pupil in after years of this very baby boy--says he was born late in #aehj4 ,there is no official record of the day of birth1 but he was registered in the good old family name of ,franz4 ,franz of ,antwerp was a designation which stuck to the great painter right on to the end of his long career4 ,nothing whatever is known of his youth1 his education1 or his pursuits4 ,for twenty years neither he1 nor his parents1 are named by biographers or historians4 ,in #afjj ,mijnheer and ,mevrouw ,hals found themselves once more at ,haarlem1 with what thankfulness it would not be difficult to narrate4 ,their two sons accompanied them1 but two baby girls--,cornelia and ,geertruid--were left buried in ,flemish soil4 ,both lads--they were grown men--at once entered painters' studios--,dirk that of ,abraam ,bloemaert1 and ,franz that of ,karel ,van ,mander4 ,this statement brings us up smartly1 for there has been nothing to indicate that the brothers had served apprenticeships in ,art4 ,we must then proceed by presumption and surmise in the story of their training1 for we may be quite sure that these eminent artists would not accept raw1 untaught youths as pupils4 ,dirk and ,franz had1 of course1 been reared in ,antwerp1 where the most conspicuous teachers of painting were ,otho ,van ,veen 7#aeah-afbi71 a painter of churches and portraits2 ,adam ,van ,noort 7#aeeg-afda71 history1 large portraits1 and genre2 and ,tobie ,verghaegts 7#aeff-afca71 landscape and architecture4 ,the brothers profited by their studies under such able masters1 and at ,van ,noort's they doubtless made the acquaintance of their fellow-pupils1 ,pieter ,paul ,rubens and his friend1 ,hendrik ,van ,balen4 ,at ,antwerp the two ,hals would also be thrown into the company of ,martin de ,vos1 ,erasmus ,guellinus1 ,crispin ,van der ,broeck1 the ,galles1 the ,van de ,passes1 the ,wieriexes1 ,antonie ,van ,liest1 ,geenart ,van ,kampen1 and other draughtsmen1 painters1 and engravers4 ,probably ,mijnheer ,pieter ,hals himself was one of the company of specialists--scholars1 writers1 readers1 correctors1 draughtsmen1 painters1 etchers1 scratchers1 cutters1 and the like1 gathered together by the enterprise of ,christopher ,plantin and other leading publishers4 ,the two sons1 therefore1 had great opportunities for the development of their family talents4 ,karel ,van ,mander1 ,franz ,hals' master1 the son of a noble family1 was born at ,meulebeke1 in ,flanders1 in #aedh4 ,he settled at ,haarlem in #aehc1 where he established himself as a teacher of drawing1 and founded an ,academy of ,painting in #aeij4 ,his style was historical1 and he did large-sized portraits and groups as well4 ,in addition to his celebrity as a painter ,van ,mander was noteworthy as a man of many parts3 a historian of the ,netherlands1 an annotator of the classics1 a poet in the vernacular1 a musician1 a linguist4 ,his most valuable contribution to literature was his splendid ,het ,schilder ,boeck or ,book of ,painters1 ,dutch and ,flemish4 ,his poem on ,art1 entitled ,den ,handt der ,edelvry ,schilderconst1 is full of sage advice with respect to the manner and spirit in which a student should approach his work2 and he sums up his exhortations by saying3 ,success is only to be found in painstaking and constant observation of all externals4 ,he gives1 as a wholesome motto to an aspiring artist1 ,i will be a good painter1 and1 as a salutary warning against carnal excess1 the oppositive reflection3 ,hoe ,schilder--hoe wifder--,as demoralised as a painter6 ,van ,mander's ,counsels of ,perfection for the behoof of his pupils are as excellent as they are characteristic4 ,avoid1 says he1 little taverns and bad company4444 ,don't let anybody see that you have much money about you4444 ,be careful never to say where you are going4444 ,be straight and courteous1 and keep out of brawls4444 ,get up early and set to work4444 ,be on your guard against light-hearted beauties6 ,three years before the ,hals left ,antwerp for their dear old home1 ,karel ,van ,mander had been joined by two assistants in the work of the ,academy--,cornelis ,cornelissen 7#aefb-afcg71 and ,hendrik ,goltzius 7#aeeh-afag74 ,the former was a painter of allegory1 mythology1 and portraits1 a member of a celebrated artist family1 and a native of ,haarlem2 and the latter1 the celebrated ,flemish engraver1 a native of ,meulebeke1 famed too as a painter of landscape1 history1 and the nude4 ,at ,haarlem were flourishing1 at the time of the return of ,mijnheer and ,mevrouw ,hals1 several distinguished artists1 and among them ,cornelis ,vroom 7#aeff-afdj71 a marine painter1 gifted in seafaring genre--a merry fellow1 and an habitu of low taverns1 although he lived in a fine house1 with a frescoed front1 in the ,zijlstraat4 ,he introduced the young ,hals to his friends and models4 ,very many of the well-to-do citizens affected artistic studies1 and several became efficient painters4 ,of these ,jan ,van ,heemsen 7#aegj-afda71 a wealthy burgher and a friend of the ,hals family1 patronised ,van ,mander and his pupils4 ,he had considerable skill in painting life-size figures1 remarkable for easy pose1 and animated manner--very much in the style adopted by ,franz ,hals4 ,these ,antwerp and ,haarlem worthies were the makers of ,franz ,hals in the elementals of his art2 but no sooner did he pass within the portals of ,van ,mander's ,academy than the door was shut and fast-barred--for all we know of him1 his life1 his work1 and his associates1 for eleven years2 and then1 we behold him assisting at a homely and interesting function4 ,in the ,baptismal ,registers of the ,groote ,keerke is the entry of a new-born child--,herman1 the son of ,franz ,hals and ,anneke ,hermanszoon1 in ,march #afaa4 ,apparently he had been in no hurry to unite the bonds of matrimony1 and yet he had cause to repent at leisure1 for his early married life does not appear to have been very happy4 ,within five years1 namely1 in ,february #afaf1 the name of the unfortunate ,anneke crops up again1 and this time in the police records4 ,franz is charged with ill-treating his wife1 and with intemperance2 and the charges seem to have been proven1 for he was reprimanded1 and only released under solemn promise of amendment of conduct1 and1 further1 he was admonished to forsake drunken company6 ,poor ,anneke died that self-same year1 but we must not charge ,franz as the direct cause of her premature death2 if he had become something of a wastrel1 as many affirm1 she was probably a weakling1 and they had little in common4 ,twelve months passed1 and then1 with due regard to mourning conventions1 ,franz ,hals married ,lysbeth ,reyniers1 of ,spaedam1 and took her to live in the ,peeuselaarsteeg4 ,they were kindred souls1 and lived happily together for fifty years4 ,to them were born many children--pledges of mutual love and home restraint--,sara1 in #afag2 ,jan1 in #afah2 ,franz1 in #afbj2 ,adriaenjen1 in #afbc2 ,jacobus1 in #afbd2 ,reynier1 in #afbg2 ,nicolaes1 in #afbh2 ,maria1 in #afca2 and ,pieter1 in #afcc2 ,herman1 ,anneke's son1 making up the ten olive branches4 ,what a happy1 merry home must that have been in the ,peeuselaarsteeg6 ,how greatly must his domestic joys have heartened the worthy father1 and given vein and tone to his work6 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iii4--,,the ,,merry ,,trio 7,in ,america4 ,a copy by ,dirk ,hals1 ,royal ,museum1 ,berlin7 ,painted in #afaf4 ,a girl of the town gaily dressed1 with open bosom--a thing abhorred by all worthy ,dutch vrouwen--sits willy-nilly between the knees of a ,falstaffian lover4 ,he was probably the very pork-butcher who1 in after years1 became one of ,hals' heaviest creditors4 ,a saucy apprentice is holding over the amorous pair a coronal1 not of orange-blossom but of sausages6 ,he has gripped his master's shoulders to make him release his hold upon the girl's arm4 ,hals' treatment of the group was doubtless a remembrance of an allegorical picture he had seen at ,antwerp1 ,the ,feast of ,love1 by ,franz ,pourbus 7#aedj-afja71 and which now hangs in the ,wallace ,collection4 ,haarlem story is blank--,haarlem tradition is silent with respect to ,franz ,hals' young manhood4 ,the only hint that we have of his existence is in #afjd1 when it is recorded that he was working still in ,van ,mander's ,academy4 ,there is not the least tint of local colour1 nor the faintest trace of romance to be seen or heard until we are brought face to face with the ,portrait of ,dr4 ,pieter ,schrijver1 now at ,monsieur ,warnecks' in ,paris4 ,upon the picture we see ,f4 ,h4 and the date1 #afac4 ,this then is the first intimation that ,franz ,hals had blossomed out as a painter of portraits6 ,the doctor was a well-known ,haarlem poet1 writer1 chemical student1 and art critic4 ,he flourished between the years #aegj and #afdj4 ,the portrait shows us a middle-aged man of serious mien1 but with no peculiar characterisation of expression or figure4 ,it is a sombre production--black and grey1 with merely a little brick-red here and there2 but the shadows upon the skin strike one as clever4 ,franz ,hals was thirty-three years of age in #afac--;an age when artists have either dismally failed and turned aside to more suitable employment1 or when they have established some sort of reputation and their work is recognised1 and examples of their style are broadcast4 ,not so ,franz ,hals2 but then there are1 to be sure1 scores of portraits attributed to him of men and women and children to which no dates are attached1 and many of these are comparable with the portraits of ,schrijver in technique1 colour1 and finish4 ,that he worked laboriously to maintain his family1 if for no other reason--and artists had to work hard in those days of small payments--is evident both directly and indirectly4 ,a few--very few--studies are extant1 in black crayon upon dull blue paper1 which are noteworthy for simplicity and firmness4 ,two of these are in the ,teyler ,museum at ,haarlem1 but they are evidently sketches for his first great ,group of ,shooters1 in the ,stadhuis4 ,three or four are in ,england--one at the ,british ,museum1 and the ,albertina ,collection at ,vienna has a few1 and that seems to be all4 ,where1 may we ask1 are his studio canvases1 his early panel portraits1 and all the thousand-and-one sketches and freaks of a young artist8 ,perchance destroyed--possibly otherwise attributed--probably hidden away in the high-pitched lofts of old ,haarlem houses and hofjes or asylums1 and in many an oaken chest and press4 ,indirectly we are assured that he had been1 all the thirteen years of his residence in ,haarlem1 an indefatigable worker in the art of portraiture--from the simple fact of his intimacy with ,mijnheer ,aert ,jan ,druivesteen 7#aefd-afag71 who five times served the high office of ,burgomaster of ,haarlem4 ,he was a man of independent means and refined tastes1 a lover of artists1 and himself also a very passable painter of landscape and animals1 which he painted solely for amusement4 ,druivesteen was a personal friend of ,franz ,hals' father1 and a constant visitor at his house4 ,from the first he greatly encouraged the young art student1 and many a time sat to him for his portrait4 ,alas6 those portraits have all disappeared or are undistinguishable4 ,from the influential position of his patron it is only a fair deduction to suppose that other city magnates and leading townspeople also sought their portraits at the hands of the ,burgomaster's protg4 ,the vogue of portraiture has always been the token of worldly success1 and eminent personages--and the reverse--from the days of the ,pharaohs to our own1 have been eager that their physiognomies should be handed down to posterity4 ,this fashion took fast hold upon the opulent burghers of the ,netherlands1 and they valued a painter in proportion as his work ministered to their self-esteem4 ,franz ,hals1 we may be sure1 became very soon quite alive to this1 perhaps pardonable exhibition of personal vanity4 ,no doubt the favourite pose in his serious portraits--arms akimbo1 and his favourite facial expression--contemptuous satisfaction1 were the natural1 yet tactful1 outcome of his observations of men and manners6 ,but we are getting on a little too fast1 for we must turn aside for a moment and look at the ,portrait of ,professor ,jan ,hogaarts of the ,faculty of ,theology in the ,university of ,leyden1 who was an able teacher and protagonist1 and a considerable student and writer of ,latin4 ,franz ,hals painted his portrait in #afad1 with similar treatment as that of ,dr4 ,schrijver4 ,these are the only two works1 signed and dated1 during fourteen years1 and then our eyes are fastened in mute astonishment upon the walls of the ,haarlem ,stadhuis1 where1 in #afaf1 was unveiled a stupendous composition4 ,this is a revelation unique and overwhelming4 ,we are in the grip of a master-hand1 and we must bow down before a genius who has1 comet-like1 flashed upon us from the great unknown6 ,there is nothing tentative1 nothing meretricious1 in this masterpiece4 ,it is a portrait group1 half-length1 life-size1 of eleven ,officers of the ,shooting ,guild of ,st4 ,joris 7,st4 ,george74 ,the demand for great group portraits had just set in4 ,the men who had ridden in on the top of the waves of new institutions looked to have their personalities placed in juxtaposition to those of monarchs1 rulers1 and generals4 ,hence1 go where you will in ,holland--through churches1 museums1 galleries1 or ,town ,halls1 you are faced by portrait groups of life-size figures1 whether they be of ,governments and ,corporations1 or ,guilds and ,institutions4 ,but1 we are standing just inside the great ,audience ,hall of ,haarlem ,stadhuis1 and we hesitate to advance1 for eighty-four vigorous and solemn gentlemen and ladies are bending their steadfast gaze upon us1 as though resenting our intrusion6 ,eight picture groups by ,hals cover the walls--a pageant of portraits--five are ,schutters-stuken 7,shooting ,groups71 and three ,regenten-stuken 7,governors of ,alms ,houses74 ,guilds of marksmen in the ,netherlands originated at a period when there were no standing armies1 and when the ,trade ,guilds were at the full height of their prosperity4 ,they served as rallying bases in times of public danger1 and as happy rendezvous in days of pleasure--,soldier-,socials we might call them4 ,annual shooting contests for prizes were held at the ,schutters-,doelen1 or butts--hence the name usually attached to the portrait-groups--and periodical banquets provided1 where good fellowship accompanied good cheer1 and where the toast of ,women1 ,wine1 and ,wit never sated6 ,the commission to paint the first of these groups1 ,the ,annual ,banquet of the ,officers of the ,shooting ,guild of ,st4 ,joris 7,st4 ,george71 was1 no doubt1 given to ,hals at the instance of his good friend ,burgomaster ,druivesteen1 who was himself a member of the ,guild4 ,there are twelve ,officers1 including ,overste1 or ,colonel1 ,pieter ,schoutts ,jacobsen1 who sits in front of the table with his arms akimbo4 ,they are middle-aged men1 some aging1 and are full-bearded and moustached1 except the two smart young standard-bearers4 ,the party has just finished dinner and toasts are being drunk4 ,through the window of the room is a view of trees and buildings4 ,the blacks and greys and greens of the picture are relieved by the brilliant scarlet silken scarves4 ,the effect of this splendid picture upon the men of ,haarlem was emphatic1 and every ,shooting ,guild wished to follow suit2 but the painter was in no humour to wear himself out with toil1 he preferred the relaxation of convivial society4 ,in all the ,dutch centres of population were numbers of social and political clubs--some perhaps were merely drinking clubs4 ,among their guests the most popular was the ,rederijkers-kammer de ,wijngaar-drankes1 which had branches everywhere4 ,although nominally ,the ,guild of ,rhetoricians1 the study of rhetoric per se had nothing whatever to do with its objects4 ,it was1 in short1 a free-and-easy ,artists' ,club4 ,as ,heminnaars1 or ,fellows1 ,franz and ,dirk ,hals were admitted to membership in #afag4 ,the men of ,haarlem were merry fellows--they only put on their serious manners with their ,sunday clothes--and every tavern had its clientle1 with flute1 viol1 and mandoline4 ,they entered impromptu into the ranks of entertainers4 ,no kermiss1 or fair1 the country round1 but had its rollicking company of students4 ,they played high jinks with jolly gipsy girls1 and drank with festive yokels4 ,this life exactly suited the two ,hals brothers2 moreover1 it gave them opportunities1 which ,franz used significantly1 for studying character1 and he gathered golden laurels in his orgies4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iv4--,,franz ,,hals ,,and ,,his ,,wife 7,rijks ,museum1 ,amsterdam7 ,painted in #afbd4 ,no painter has left a more charming and more characteristic portrait of himself and his wife than this4 ,there they sit1 all in a garden green1 as happy as happy can be4 ,the idea was ,lysbeth's4 ,she knew ,franz was painting other couples and getting wealth and fame--why not their own8 ,she put on her best go-to-,groote-,keerke gown and a new cap1 and made ,franz don his ,town ,hall suit2 she gauffered very carefully his cuffs1 and tied round his neck his finest ,van ,dyck collar4 ,the pose is splendidly realistic--good-humouredly she smiles1 but he is in restless mood1 as was his wont1 and so she just grasps his shoulder--a reminder of the sweet restraint of happy married life6 ,for fifty years they lived together1 sharing their sorrows and their joys4 ,still the ,hals1 and their companions of the tankard and the brush1 were downright1 loyal honest citizens1 and all were enrolled in the ranks of the ,civic ,guard--,franz and ,dirk in #afah4 ,the ,banquet of the ,shooting ,guild of ,st4 ,joris was not the only work which ,franz ,hals signed and dated in #afaf2 at least two other very striking portraits were finished4 ,pieter ,van der ,morsch1 now labelled ,the ,herring ,seller1 was a beadle in the service of the ,municipality of ,leyden1 and a member of the ,guild of ,rhetoric of that city--an oldish man with sparse locks and furrowed face4 ,he is holding up a herring1 and on the canvas some one has scratched1 ,,wie ,,begeert8--,who'll buy8 ,this portrait is the earliest dated work which exhibits ,hals' speciality--characterisation4 ,it now belongs to the ,earl of ,northbrook1 but it sold in #aghj at a public auction in ,leyden for the ridiculous sum of #a1 #es4 ,the ,merry ,trio belongs to the same year1 #afaf4 ,a girl of the town in gala dress is seated1 willy-nilly1 between the knees of a ,falstaffian lover1 whilst a saucy apprentice boy holds over the couple a mock coronal of sausages6 ,the man was evidently a pork butcher2 probably one of ,hals' creditors later on4 ,the pose and play were probably suggested by an allegorical picture which had charmed the young artist in ,antwerp--,the ,feast of ,love1 by ,frans ,pourbus 7#aedj-afja71 now in the ,wallace ,collection4 ,this humorous composition is in ,america2 but a good copy1 said to be by ,dirk ,hals1 hangs in the ,royal ,museum in ,berlin4 ,but years pass on once more1 and there is little enough of episode to record in the life of our accomplished1 jovial painter4 ,hals was now a happy father1 and his heart went out to children--his own were growing fast1 and their infant moods arrested him4 ,down by the sea-dunes1 too1 were lads and lasses--strong and lithe of build1 bronzed with the sun and spray1 full of life's gaiety4 ,of these he took liberal toll--just as did ,leonardo da ,vinci of posturing peasant youths and maidens in ,tuscan villages4 ,a merry suite of ,fisher-boys and ,fisher-girls danced off his palette1 and now they display his genre delightfully in many a picture gallery4 ,there were also dignified patrons of ,hals' brush in ,haarlem1 and rich burghers and their wives sat to him by scores4 ,at ,cassel1 dated #afbj1 are portraits of a ,haarlem gentleman and his spouse--the leading pair in his procession of full-dress ,mijnheers and ,mevrouws posed for posterity1 but rich in characterisation of face and hands--the latter a very marked feature4 ,the years #afbb1 #afbc1 and #afbd are red-lettered for the historian of ,franz ,hals1 for among the portraits he dated then are three of surpassing interest--,his own ,likeness1 ,himself and his ,wife1 and ,the ,laughing ,cavalier4 ,the first of these belongs to the ,duke of ,devonshire2 it hangs at ,devonshire ,house in ,piccadilly1 and has never been exhibited4 ,this is ,franz ,hals as he wished to be known to posterity4 ,his head1 slightly on one side1 is marked by strong features--a nose which shows strength of purpose1 a mouth which indicates quiet decision1 and dreamy eyes1 looking craftily for new impressions4 ,it is a self-satisfied1 reflective face1 with nothing base about it4 ,the folded arms show grasp of purpose and individuality of action1 whilst the figure of the man is in repose4 ,the costume is sumptuous1 full sleeves of heavy black silk brocade1 with the latest conceits in buttons and ruffled cuffs4 ,he wears the jewelled token of his ,shooting ,guild and the be-buttoned cloak of a gentleman of the period4 ,his frill is full1 and it is of the finest edged cambric--quite an ultra-mark of fashion6 ,his hat is black velvet--slouched1 and steeple-crowned4#a #a ,see page #aa4 ,merry groups and jovial couples were1 of course1 quite in ,hals' way1 though probably he painted them for his own pleasure rather than for love of gain4 ,junkheer ,rampf and his ,lass 7#afbc7--somewhere in ,paris1 ,mons4 ,cocret's ,merry ,supper ,party1 and a number of ,rommel-pot-speelers--perhaps ,drinks all round6 in ,english--at the ,hague1 ,berlin1 and elsewhere1 offer ample evidence of the painter's free-and-easy manners and humorous genre4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v4--,,the ,,officers ,,of ,,the ,,shooting ,,guild ,,of ,,st4 ,,adriaen 7,town ,hall1 ,haarlem7 ,painted in #afcc4 ,this1 the second group of the ,st4 ,adriaen ,officers1 is the finest of all the five ,schutters-,doelen at ,haarlem4 ,for clever arrangement of the figures and instantaneous catch of character it is unsurpassed4 ,the armourer had furbished up the old halberds of the ,company1 which1 with the banners1 are quite significant features4 ,the costumes are peculiarly rich and the sashes gaily ample2 whilst the variety of ruffs and collars1 and the trimming of the beards1 indicate the vagaries of fashion4 ,the ,colonel--,jan ,claesz ,van ,loo1 with his hunt-stick--no doubt he was getting gouty6--sits1 looking at you full in the face4 ,the other ,officers have all their eyes upon you2 they are inviting you to join in their conviviality4 ,the background of trees and farm-buildings suggests the delights of a picnic in the open air4 ,mevrouw ,lysbeth knew all about these junketings1 and1 good soul1 she made no complaint1 but on the contrary she challenged ,franz to add his own portrait with hers to the suite of jolly partners4 ,she put on her best black brocade gown1 with its modish heliotrope bodice1 and went to the expense of the newest things in ruffs and cuffs4 ,her hair--she was not richly dowered that way6--she coiffed neatly round her head1 and tied on the nattiest of little lace caps4 ,with ,franz1 no doubt1 she had some trouble4 ,he disliked very much fashionable garments1 but inasmuch as he had something of a position to keep up as a member of the ,haarlem municipality1 she persuaded him to get into his ,groote ,keerke and ,stadhuis suit of black silk and stuff4 ,she brushed well his best beaver hat1 carefully gauffered his cambric cuffs1 and pinned round his throat the best ,mechlin lace collar he possessed4 ,his shoes were new and neatly bowed1 and he1 worthy fellow1 responded to his loving wife's playful whim by putting on--a thing quite unusual for him--a pair of white kid gloves4 ,and there they sit1 ,franz and ,lysbeth1 all in a garden green1 under a shady oak tree1 with a vision of architectural gardens and open fertile country beyond4 ,the pose was most certainly her idea1 not his1 for she is smiling most good-humouredly at having gained her end6 ,he would be up and off1 but she checks his movement1 and the hand-grasp upon his shoulder is a reminder of the sweet restraint of happy married life4 ,when this masterpiece was painted1 the ,hals were in comfortable circumstances4 ,the success of the ,group of ,shooters had greatly enriched ,franz1 and his studio was thronged by opulent patrons1 each clamouring for his portrait4 ,the third picture of note in #afbd was ,the ,laughing ,cavalier4 ,why1 and when1 it gained its title nobody knows--in most catalogues it is correctly called ,portrait of an ,officer1 a member of one of the ,shooting ,guilds4 ,whoever the gentleman may be1 he had an uncommonly good conceit of himself4 ,he is not laughing1 but expressing disdain of the world in general1 and amused contempt of you and me1 who go to look at him1 in particular4 ,the characterisation is so cleverly managed that one almost fancies his expression changes2 he appears to scowl and then to relax1 just as in actual life our features involuntarily keep up an incessant play4 ,his dress is unusually decorative1 the colours are few but superlatively arranged1 the whole effect is wonderfully lifelike4 ,it was the happiest of happy thoughts which suggested the placing side by side1 at the ,wallace ,collection1 masterpieces of the three greatest portrait painters the world has seen--,velazquez1 ,rembrandt1 and ,hals4 ,the ,laughing ,cavalier loses nothing by proximity to ,the ,lady with a ,fan and ,the ,unmerciful ,servant4 ,but ,hals had a mind to paint simpler subjects than these1 and he turned to children once more1 as exhibiting most naturally and spontaneously variety of character and expression4 ,singing ,boys1 ,singing ,girls1 ,flute ,players1 ,mandolinists1 and others1 playing only pranks and tricks1 he welcomed to his studio--another ,leonardo da ,vinci trait6 ,he noted their expanding cheeks1 he heard their melodious notes1 he understood the motions of their limbs1 and fixed them all4 ,they make us smile with pleasure1 so natural and lifelike are they at ,haarlem1 ,berlin1 ,brussels1 ,cologne1 ,cassel1 and ,knigsberg--many of #afbe1 and more elsewhere undated1 but similarly characterised4 ,two or three ,zechbruders or ,jolly ,topers1 and some gay young sparks with mandolines--,schalks naar or ,buffoon1 as each is quite erroneously styled--walked out of ,hals' studio in #afbe4 ,doubtless they were skits or caricatures of fellow-artists1 for the clever painters of ,haarlem were not quite ,fools or ,buffoons1 nor were they all only ,jolly ,topers4 ,all this time ,hals was making arrangements with his old patrons of ,st4 ,joris' ,guild for another great portrait-group to be put up in the ,stadhuis4 ,this was finished in #afbg--;it represents eleven ,officers4 ,on comparing this ,group with its predecessor we are struck with its greater freedom and freshness4 ,hals was now painting more brilliantly1 and his colours blend more naturally4 ,the success of the first ,st4 ,joris' ,group had fired the imagination of members of a rival ,company1 the ,st4 ,adriaen's ,guild2 and it was determined that their ,officers should also adorn the walls of the ,stadhuis4 ,consequently ,hals had two great groups to do1 and no sooner had the carpenter hangers got ,st4 ,joris ,no4 #b into position than their services were requisitioned for the ,st4 ,adriaen's ,group4 ,if profitable1 nevertheless the painting of such portrait groups was very troublesome1 and no doubt ,hals was very thankful to see the last in his studio of these pictures4 ,the jealousies1 the corrections1 and the interruptions1 in dealing with a lot of conceited ,officers1 must have almost maddened him4 ,each man had his own ideas--and ,hals had his4 ,each wished to be as prominent as possible1 and to cut a dash at his brother officers' expense4 ,arrangement after arrangement failed4 ,at last ,hals decided the matter once and for all4 ,he declined positively to paint a row of figures--he intended to make a picture4 ,therefore he proposed an admirable plan1 and one which recouped him well to boot--those who paid most should have the places of honour6 ,the ,colonel--generally one of the wealthiest members of the ,guild--paid the highest fee1 and he is the most conspicuous figure in all the ,doelen pictures4 ,captains paid for second places1 ,lieutenants for third1 and ,sergeants looked out from the back4 ,the ,standard-bearers were exceptional individuals--the sons of rich fathers1 who paid well for good stations4 ,again1 a ,shooting-brother was mulcted higher for a full-face than one who had to put up with a three-quarter likeness--profiles were ruled out4 ,once more1 notice the cunning of the painter1 every one of his ,schutters is an athlete1 with a striking face6 ,each wears his best dress1 his sword hilt is of the latest ,italian pattern1 and each is showing himself off to the greatest advantage--all the drakes are swans6 ,the ,st4 ,adriaen's ,group of #afbg consists of twelve ,officers1 with ,colonel ,jan ,claesz ,van ,loo in the place of honour4 ,dinner is over1 and the diners are discussing the latest bit of gossip before separating4 ,one of the sergeants has been caught in the act of pocketing a bunch of grapes1 and his fellow is holding out a silver dish for its restoration4 ,fashions1 both of hair and clothes1 of course1 are similar to those worn by the ,st4 ,joris' ,schutters1 except that the younger men are quite la mode with respect to their slashed and puffed full sleeves4 ,of the two groups this is the least mannered1 and there is more atmosphere and greater animation4 ,crude contrasting colours are softened down1 and luminous grey shadows make play around the men4 ,each individual's expression is personal and original1 and the characterisation of each is so wonderfully full of life that1 if any one of them was to walk off the wall and greet us1 we should feel that we knew just what sort of a man he was4 ,this is perfect portraiture2 it is more--it is clairvoyancy in paint4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the decade #afcj-afdj ,franz ,hals was acknowledged as first painter in ,holland4 ,he stood head and shoulders above everybody else in his freedom of treatment1 unconventionality of pose1 manipulative facility1 fidelity of colouring1 boldness of shadow1 and the marvellous certainty of his flesh tones4 ,his technique1 in short1 was unrivalled1 and the emphasis with which he expressed feature and mood was astounding4 ,his illumination was golden1 and the animation of his figures extraordinary4 ,like ,michael ,angelo he preferred men to women1 as exhibiting more character and less liable to affectation4 ,he neither wasted time in making studies for his compositions1 nor frittered it away in elaborate corrections4 ,his brush knew one stroke only--his impasto was laid on at once4 ,simply in details of hair1 lace1 and brocade did he elaborate4 ,the same decade was the most brilliant period of the ,dutch ,school generally2 the greatest painters were all working away on canvas and panel1 making world's records in ,art4 ,every town1 and many a country place1 had its studios and schools of painting1 but ,haarlem was easily first as the home and headquarters of painters4 ,boldness and truth was the municipal motto1 and this is eloquent in all the work of ,franz ,hals4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vi4--,,the ,,jolly ,,mandolinist 7,,der ,,naar7 7,collection of ,baron ,g4 ,rothschild1 ,paris4 ,a copy by ,dirk ,hals in ,rijks ,museum1 ,amsterdam7 ,painted in #afbe4 ,this is a very jolly fellow6 ,it is a portrait of one of ,hals' favourite pupils1 ,adriaen ,brouwer1 who was also renowned for his musical gifts and his love of practical jokes2 he painted pictures too sometimes6 ,his nickname in the studios was ,der ,naar--,funny ,man6 ,the ,jolly ,mandolinist must have caught sight of one of his lady-loves at a window1 or a painting chum4 ,his staccato note ends in a genial smile1 and he is ready for a joke or a hand-tossed kiss4 ,this has ,hals splendidly fixed1 a snapshot would not have had a more instantaneous effect4 ,the ,spanish costume suggests the celebration of one of the famous ,haarlem masquerades4 ,and ,haarlem was the most prosperous of cities4 ,between #afcj-afdj the ,tulip mania was at its height1 and ,haarlem was the metropolis of the bulb4 ,it is said that in one year the florists of the city cleared twelve million golden florins4 ,to ,haarlem1 as to an artists' ,mecca1 flocked teachers1 students1 and connoisseurs from all lands1 and among the rest came a notable pilgrim1 ,anthonie ,van ,dyck4 ,mincing along in his courtier-like manner1 in search of impressions1 he wished to see for himself the master about whom gossip had spun such wonderful stories1 and to watch him at work4 ,he was at ,the ,hague1 the honoured guest of ,frederick of ,nassau1 ,prince of ,orange1 painting princely patrons1 and it was not more than a ,sabbath-day's journey to ,haarlem4 ,so one bright morning in ,june that year1 #afcj1 ,van ,dyck1 unannounced1 knocked at ,franz ,hals' front door4 ,vrouw ,hals greeted the stranger courteously--,my husband1 she said1 is not at home1 maybe he is at the ,life ,school2 will the gentleman step in and rest4 ,jan1 who was just twelve years old1 was sent to look for his father1 and at last discovered him1 not at his studio1 but with some boon companions in the little back room of his favourite tavern hard by4 ,perhaps among the ,merry ,topers there were famous ,admiral ,van ,tromp1 killed in #afec1 and his jolly comrade1 ,jan ,barentz1 the entertaining cobbler--late a lieutenant in the fleet1 whose portrait ,hals painted many a time as a ,jolly ,toper1 with his great big hands and grinning face1 squinting at the liquor level of his tell-tale glass4 ,there is a smart gentleman1 all the way from ,antwerp1 to see you1 dad1 and he wants you to paint his portrait1 so ran on the lad4 ,hals bid his boy go home1 finished his tankard and his pipe1 and leisurely sauntered along4 ,he was in no good-humour at the interruption1 and gave the stranger a cool welcome4 ,at first he demurred at being called upon to paint a man he had never seen before1 and whose features and figure he had had no opportunity of studying4 ,van ,dyck1 without revealing his identity1 begged him to proceed1 and offered him a tempting fee4 ,without more ado ,hals snatched up the first old canvas lying on the floor1 and in a couple of hours he had painted1 in a manner which greatly astonished his sitter1 a telling likeness4 ,van ,dyck laid down the amount he had promised1 but asked ,hals whether he might1 in return1 attempt to paint his portrait4 ,hals was astounded1 and more so as the visitor progressed1 for it was borne in upon him that such a stylish virtuoso could be none other than his famous rival1 the great ,flemish master4 ,who the devil are you8 he exclaimed4 ,why1 you must be ,anthonie ,van ,dyck6 ,van ,dyck was exigeant that ,hals should accompany him to ,england1 where he had been summoned by the king4 ,no words and no inducement could move ,hals out of ,holland--it was his home1 it was his world2 ,dutch of the ,dutch was he1 bred in the bone6 ,van ,dyck departed much disappointed1 but he charmed the ,vrouw ,lysbeth and the kiddies by leaving behind for them twenty silver florins4 ,as for ,hals1 he went back to his pots and his paints4 ,in the ,schwerin ,gallery is a ,portrait of a ,man with a good deal of ,franz ,hals about it1 variously attributed to him and to ,van ,dyck4 ,maybe it is the one painted in ,haarlem that hot ,june day in #afcj4 ,eight superb portraits by ,hals were dated this self-same year3 ,the ,group of the ,beresteyn ,family1 and ,the ,gipsy ,girl 7,la ,bohmienne71 at the ,louvre2 ,the ,mandoline ,player--,der ,schalksnaar1 in ,baron ,gustave ,rothschild's ,collection in ,paris2 ,nurse and ,child1 and ,the ,jolly ,toper1 at the ,royal ,gallery in ,berlin2 ,portrait of a ,man 7tat su #cf7 at ,buckingham ,palace2 ,mijnheer ,willem ,van ,heythuysen1 at the ,belvedere ,gallery in ,vienna--the full-length1 ,velazquez-like standing portrait2 and ,portrait of a ,young ,girl1 of the ,beresteyn family at ,haarlem4 ,der ,schalksnaar--called also ,the ,fool1 ,the ,buffoon1 ,the ,jester1 and1 far more suitably1 ,the ,mandoline ,player--is allowed to be the finest character-portrait in the world4 ,velazquez and ,rembrandt never did anything so acutely life-like4 ,it is a snapshot1 so to speak1 of ,adriaen ,brouwer1 one of ,hals' favourite and most distinguished pupils1 whose renown as a painter of peasant genre was equalled by his fame as an archplayer of practical jokes and as a brilliant musician and improvisatore4 ,here he is1 in fancy ,spanish dress1 red and yellow1 with a real old ,hispano-,moorish mandoline4 ,his nickname in the studios was ,der ,naar6 ,funny ,fellow6 ,his face--clean-shaven1 but still something of a stranger to soap and water--reflects1 with amazing truthfulness and vitality1 the emotions of the moment4 ,he laid a wager that he would make his innamorata peep out of her window and wave her hand at him4 ,the staccato notes of the serenade have not yet quite died away1 the strummer's hand has not relaxed its tension on the strings of the instrument1 as the singer throws up a rapid glance of recognition4 ,nurse and ,child is as charming as anything in all the works of ,franz ,hals4 ,nothing can be imagined more natural1 more simple1 more appealing4 ,at first sight the woman--she may be thirty--appears posed1 but her expression is that of momentary abstraction from the restless exigencies of nursing4 ,she is goodness and gentleness personified1 and her pinned-up cap lappels tell of busy little fingers close by4 ,the baby is to the life4 ,he is a vigorous youngster1 the latest little son of the ancient ,north ,holland family of ,ilpenstein1 prominent in ,haarlem story4 ,he has grabbed his nurse's brooch whilst he turns to have a good look at you1 and1 presto1 he will bury his head in her kindly bosom with a merry laugh4 ,his face is a tour de force--that of a rare critic1 as all healthy babies are4 ,i question whether any painter has painted a child's coming smile as ,hals has done here4 ,the dress1 a splendid piece of gold brocade in colours1 must be an inspiration from ,pieter ,breughel1 le ,velours 7#aefh-afbe71 whose mastery of glossy patterned stuffs is almost inimitable4 ,the lace looks as if ,hals had just cut lengths of rare ,mechlin point and pasted them upon his canvas4 ,why1 we can count every thread and knot6 ,the year that gave date to these widely differing1 but admirably agreeing1 character-portraits also witnessed the foundation of ,franz ,hals' ,life ,school4 ,very soon after the death of ,van ,mander1 in #afjf1 the famous ,academy of ,painting began to decline in popularity4 ,the dissolution of partnership between ,cornelissen and ,goltzius1 and their departure from ,haarlem1 caused its doors to be closed4 ,whether he wished it or not1 a goodly company of artists looked to ,franz ,hals as their leader1 and so the mantle of ,van ,mander fell upon the shoulders of his most distinguished pupil4 ,among those who foregathered in the new ,academy were ,pieter ,soutman 7#aehj-afeg71 ,pieter ,potter1 father of ,paul 7#aehg-afdb71 ,willem ,claesz ,heda 7#aeid-afhj71 ,jan ,cornelisz ,verspronett 7#aeig-affb71 ,hendrik ,gerritsz ,pot 7#afjj-afef71 ,pieter ,molyn 7#afjj-affa71 ,pieter ,fransz ,de ,grebber 7#afaj-affe71 ,antonie ,palamedesz ,stevaerts 7#afjd-afhj71 ,adriaen ,brouwer 7#afje-afch71 ,dirk ,van ,deelen 7#afje-afga71 ,csar ,van ,everdingen 7#afjf-afgi71 ,pieter ,codde 7#afaj-afff71 ,bartholomeus ,van der ,helst 7#afaj-afgj71 ,adriaen ,van ,ostade 7#afaj-afhe71 ,philippe ,wouwermans 7#afbj-affh71 ,isaac ,van ,ostade 7#afba-afdi71 ,pieter ,roestraeten 7#afbg-afih71 who married ,sara1 ,franz ,hals' eldest daughter2 ,vincenzius ,laurenszoon ,van der ,vinne 7#afbi-agjb71 and ,job ,berckheijde 7#afcj-afic71 with ,hals' five sons and his brother ,dirk4 ,there is in ,haarlem ,stadhuis a very interesting painting by the last of these1 which shows ,franz ,hals' ,life ,school and some of his pupils in the year #afeb4 ,work is in full swing1 and five of the master's sons--the youngest1 ,nicolaes1 being twenty-four years old--and ,dirk ,hals with ,van ,deelen1 ,molyn1 ,berckheijde himself1 and his little brother ,gerritsz1 seated at a table1 are drawing from a nude model4 ,the master is by the door1 chatting with ,philippe ,wouwermans1 who has just popped in to see how things are getting on4 ,it is said that ,hals sweated his pupils by making them draw and paint subjects for which he paid them little or nothing1 and which he sold at fair prices to meet his weekly tavern reckonings4 ,adriaen ,brouwer is named as living-in at the ,halsian establishment1 with an uncomfortable bed1 insufficient food1 and scanty clothing6 ,be these tales what they may1 there is characteristic evidence that ,hals and his pupils lived on good terms4 ,an amusing story is told by the ,haarlem historian and biographer1 ,jacob ,campo ,weyerman1 in his ,sevens-,beschrijoingen der ,nederlondsche ,konst-,schilders1 of the goings on at the ,life ,school4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vii4--,,the ,,market ,,girl 7,,la ,,boh,,mienne7 7,louvre ,gallery1 ,paris7 ,painted in #afcj4 ,they call her ,la ,bohmienne in ,paris1 but why we do not know4 ,she is not a gipsy girl1 but a slut out of ,haarlem ,fish-market1 wholly bereft of all sense of appearance1 and caring only for passing joke and gibe4 ,the girl was a favourite studio model also1 for studies of a figure and face like hers abound in the work of ,haarlem painters4 ,thinly painted1 in simple colours1 this is a masterpiece of pigment snapshots4 ,its sauciness is as natural as may be4 ,no doubt she and ,hals exchanged many a bit of racy banter2 perhaps she dared him to paint her just as she was4 ,the master's addiction to strong drink called for energetic action1 and the older pupils were accustomed of an evening to take it in turn to fetch him home from his cups1 undress him1 and tuck him comfortably into bed4 ,now when ,franz1 lying in bed1 thought he was alone in his room1 his piety came to the surface2 for however tipsy he might be he generally closed his halting prayer with this petition3 ',dear ,lord1 take me soon up into ,heaven6' ,some pupils who heard him repeat this request night after night decided to test one day whether their master was really in earnest1 and ,adriaen ,brouwer--that ape of humanity--undertook to carry out the joke4 ,brouwer1 in company with another pupil called ,dirk ,van ,deelen1 bored four holes in the ceiling1 right above ,franz' bedstead1 and through these lowered four strong ropes1 which they fastened to the four corners of the bed1 and then waited eagerly for their master's return home4 ,hals returned towards night in merry mood1 and his pupils helped him to bed according to their wont1 took away the light1 and then crept quietly upstairs to set their plan in motion4 ,as soon as ,franz began his usual orison1 ',lord1 take me up soon into ,heaven1' they drew him and his bedstead gently up a little1 whereupon ,hals1 half dazed1 fancying that his prayer was being answered literally1 altered his tone1 and began to cry out lustily3 ',not so fast1 dear ,lord6 not so fast6' ,hardly able to restrain their mirth the mischievous young dogs quietly let their burden down1 slipped off the ropes1 and themselves slipped away1 to tell their fellows the joke4 ,franz1 continues ,weyerman1 did not discover the trick until several years after6 ,the years #afca and #afcb were lean years in ,hals' output1 but the year #afcc1 which gave us ,portrait of a ,man at the ,national ,gallery--a fresh complexioned1 easy going gentleman about thirty to forty years of age1 in an astonishingly voluminous ruff1 quite a bygone fashion in that year--saw a chef-d'oeuvre de chefs-d'oeuvres1 another ,schutters-stuk1 put up in the ,stadhuis at ,haarlem4 ,the ,st ,adriaen's ,doelen1 ,no4 #b1 consists of fourteen officers1 nearly all of whom are gazing good-humouredly right out at their visitors1 and inviting all and sundry to join in the conviviality4 ,each face is a pleasant character-study1 for each man has dined well and is content4 ,colonel ,jan ,claesz ,van ,loo is seated on the left1 holding a stout walking-stick--probably he has contracted gout since his appearance in #afbg6 ,seven of the officers hold halberds--a decided novelty in accessories1 which adds greatly to the picturesque effect4 ,one wonders whether anybody had whispered to ,hals the news that ,velazquez had painted his ,surrender of ,breda with halberds and lances galore6 ,anyhow ,hals would not be caught napping by an intrusive ,spaniard6 ,the ,group is far and away the most easily arranged of all the ,schutters-stuken4 ,the waving foliage and smiling landscape predicate breeze and sun1 for the gathering is al fresco in the gardens of ,roosendaal1 the ,hampton ,court of ,haarlem4 ,the officer seated upon the table is ,lieutenant ,hendrik ,pot--a favourite pupil--a speaking likeness4 ,fashions have changed1 they are richer and more decorative with silken stitching and laced scarves4 ,the colours1 greys1 greens1 browns1 and dull blues are softened by the leafy environment4 ,en plein air is the cry of modern ,impressionists1 but here we have it1 where1 perhaps1 we should not look for it4 ,this is in truth one of the world's chief masterpieces1 and the efforts its execution called forth told greatly upon its creator4 ,certainly he went on painting1 and probably he went on carousing too2 but silence again settles down upon him1 and a meagre list of fifteen signed and dated portraits completes his work until #afcg4 ,we find him now not at ,haarlem1 but at ,amsterdam2 not drinking1 but painting--painting what ,dr4 ,brgher1 the art critic1 asserts is the most astounding picture of the ,dutch ,school4 ,probably ,hals frequently visited the capital of the chief province1 there to see what other artists were doing1 and to sample the pleasures of its convivial life4 ,his visit in #afeg was of considerable duration1 for he was painting ,the ,officers of the ,civic ,guard under their commander1 ,colonel ,reynier ,reaels4 ,there are sixteen full-length1 life-size figures1 posed after the manner of the ,haarlem ,schutters-stuken4 ,they are clad in dark-blue uniforms1 with the exception of the ,standard-bearer--a gorgeous individual in golden brown1 with leggings1 laced and bowed1 his arms akimbo1 bearing himself with such a swagger as only ,franz ,hals knew how to paint4 ,this splendid portrait group hangs at the ,rijks ,museum in ,amsterdam1 at no great distance from ,rembrandt ,van ,rijn's ,night ,watch1 so we can take stock of both together4 ,it is not a little significant that ,amsterdamers1 famed for what the ,tuscans used to call il ,spirito del ,campanile1 should have had to go to ,haarlem for their man6 ,were there not painters on the spot1 and what about ,rembrandt1 he was not very busy in #afcg8 ,no2 no one could do this sort of thing so well as ,hals4 ,in #afci he completed his quintet of ,schutters-stuken or ,doelen--portrait groups in ,haarlem ,stadhuis2 his patrons were once more ,the ,officers of ,st4 ,joris' ,shooting ,guild4 ,here we are in the open with the wind swaying the unfurled banners and rustling the leaves of the trees4 ,the rendezvous is the orchard of the ,hofje ,van ,oud ,alkemude de ,,xii4 ,apostelen1 with its garden-pavilion1 in the tower of which ,hals is said to have painted a ,schutters-stuk2 beyond are the ,haarlem woods4 ,the ,group consists of nineteen ,officers1 with ,colonel ,jan ,van ,loo4 ,the men are arranged in two somewhat stiff lines--perhaps they all asked front places and paid well6 ,with his usual modesty ,hals has put himself in the back row1 but in much better guise than his next neighbour1 a distinctly blas individual4 ,they are all well-set-up men1 and dressed in the new fashion1 tending rather to effeminacy4 ,the atmosphere and illuminations are vibrant1 but the colours are restrained1 the shadows are grey1 and the animation does not equal that of the #afcc ,group4 ,perhaps ,hals was degenerating with the passing age--certainly he was ageing4 ,however1 he finished off his best decade with a remarkable little snapshot portrait1 a fisher-lad of ,katwyk4 ,de ,strandlooper he has called it2 it hangs in ,antwerp ,museum4 ,he saw the boy running up and down the dunes2 he was an odd-looking bit of humanity4 ,sit down just where you are1 said ,hals1 fold your arms1 and don't take your eyes off me4 ,a rough drawing was soon knocked off1 just to fix values1 and then the master added1 ,come along with me now to ,haarlem1 and half a ,carolus guelder for you4 ,then he fixed the oddest of odd smiles1 and the ,beach urchin remains to prove that the old man1 vigorous1 had lost very little of his cunning after all4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the last twenty-five years of ,hals' life were marked by experiences wholly unlike the circumstances of the preceding decade4 ,if between #afcj-afdj he approached ,velazquez and painted dignified magnates and others1 with a brush dipped in gold and a palette of luminous colours1 in the end of his days he was near ,rembrandt with no less characteristic groups and individuals1 and his hues are silvery and his shadows impressive4 ,the ,regenten ,stuken1 the ,five ,governors of the ,st4 ,elizabeth ,almshouse or ,oudemaanenhuis1 exposed in the ,haarlem ,stadhuis in #afda1 might1 for all the world1 be the work of the great ,amsterdam master1 just as the latter's ,staalmeester's of #affa might be his4 ,the ,group in question consists of five most serious and reverent city fathers1 seated comfortably at their ,board table4 ,not a bit of worldly conceit1 not a decorative adjunct of any kind1 adorns the composition1 but it is a perfect achievement4 ,the sombre black garments and steeple-crown hats have a lustre of their own1 and1 standing well out of the greyish-green wall behind1 they throw up wonderfully facial expression and manual dexterity4 ,the plain linen collars and well-starched cuffs tone down the ashen-red shadows upon the skin1 and the clustering locks of long black hair1 tinged with grey1 form halos around the wrinkles4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,viii4--,,nurse ,,and ,,child 7,royal ,museum1 ,berlin7 ,painted in #afcj4 ,this is one of the very best of all ,hals' compositions4 ,the ,nurse is a buxom lass of ,north ,holland1 and the ,child1 the little son of ,mijnheer ,julius ,ilpensteen1 a wealthy ,german merchant1 settled at ,haarlem1 and engaged in tulip-growing4 ,the expression of the youngster1 just about to explode with laughter at something droll which has caught his eye1 and then shyly to bury his head in his crooning nurse's bosom1 has been caught quite wonderfully4 ,the dress is rich1 and the ,mechlin lace collar is so actual that it might really be a piece cut off and pasted on the canvas6 ,it is said that ,hals had been twitted with his fondness for dirty1 unkempt children as models for his snapshots of character1 here he has vindicated his sense of elegance4 ,compare this charming subject with the character-portrait of the ,strandlooper at ,antwerp1 and ,hals' grip of children's expressions is seen to be emphatic and unlimited4 ,haarlem possessed many charitable institutions to which the general title ,hofjes was attached4 ,it became the happy custom1 well on in the seventeenth century1 for wealthy citizens to build and endow almshouses1 hospitals1 and the like--in the first instances as monuments of individual prominence and ultimately as memorials of family pride4 ,founders and their relatives were the earliest governors1 and then administrative powers were merged in trusts and municipal offices1 and foremost citizens formed their ,boards4 ,franz ,hals' great good-nature and his merry haphazard way of life made him a favourite everywhere--he was everybody's friend4 ,his appointment in #afdc as ,vinder of the ,haarlem ,lodge of the ,artists' ,guild of ,st4 ,luke was very popular4 ,the functions of the office exactly suited the free-and-easy master-painter2 they were analogous to those which attached to the corresponding ,italian office of provvidetore--controller1 caterer1 and perhaps toast-master1 all rolled into one4 ,nobody has testified to ,vrouw ,lysbeth's satisfaction at this promotion2 it was a real ray of sunshine in the gathering clouds of age and anxiety4 ,no doubt she still smiled--not as navely as in that garden green in #afcj1 but hopefully4 ,but ,hals was already beginning to grow indolent4 ,was it the natural change of life1 or was it the effect of self-indulgence8 ,who shall say8 ,charity thinks and speaks kindly we know4 ,anyhow nine long years steal quietly along1 and all the signed and dated work he did was just nine portraits and not one of them of marked excellence4 ,poverty began to look in at the windows of the house in the ,peeuselaarsteeg1 what time silence or indolence settled there1 but what cared the merry old painter1 for love opened the door1 and kept it upon the latch--,lysbeth did not chide ,franz1 and ,franz did not vex ,lysbeth4 ,twenty years or so before ,hals had picked up many a splendid subject for his portrait-characterisation or portrait-caricature in ,haarlem markets1 and many a flighty markt-deern1 besides the untidy fish-girl of #afcj1 had been his model4 ,then he loved young girls--at seventy his friends were viele deerne of the ,kraegs or common taverns4 ,one old lady had for many a long day taken his fancy1 not that she was comely1 sober1 or fair spoken1 quite the reverse1 nevertheless her striking play of features and the wrinkling of her leathery skin had an occult fascination for ,franz4 ,they called her ,hille ,bobbe1 but her name was ,aletta or ,alle ,bol or ,bollij2 and she lived in a hovel by the ,fish-market4 ,nobody ever got the better of old ,hille1 but she let everybody know what she thought of him and his6 ,at ,lille is a ,laughing ,hussy1 painted by ,hals in #afde2 at ,berlin is the old lady with her tankard and an owl1 done in #afej2 and at ,dresden the same viele deern is scolding a yokel1 who is smoking over her stall of unboiled lobsters1 #afeb 7874 ,they are all three most simply painted in black and grey1 and just faint traces of ochre and red4 ,the deep shadows point to a meagre palette and a brush worn down1 but the result is striking and original4 ,nobody knows what the owl had to do with the old lady1 probably a painters' joke at the model's expense4 ,in ten more years ,franz ,hals signed and dated no more than ten pictures4 ,was he idle8 ,was he ill8 ,was he dissolute8 ,we cannot say2 we have no data to go upon4 ,the next note we have is an alarm signal1 for1 in #afeb1 one ,jan ,ykess1 a baker1 obtained a warrant whereby he sued ,hals for two hundred ,carolus guilders on account of comestibles supplied to him and his wife4 ,a distress was issued1 and the forced sale of three thin mattresses and bolsters1 a ricketty armoire1 and an old oak-table1 with five oil paintings1 barely sufficed to clear the bill4 ,other creditors1 and there were not a few1 got nothing2 apparently there were no other assets4 ,but two years later ,hals gave his butcher of ,the ,merry ,trio1 a painting by ,jan ,razet1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist preaching1 by way of compensation4 ,this is indeed a sad revelation1 and its sadness is intensified by the apparent want of filial piety on the part of ,franz' sons and daughters4 ,they were all living1 and1 except ,pieter1 domiciled in ,haarlem4 ,only ,maria was unmarried4 ,all were in good circumstances4 ,nicolaes1 ,vinder in #affb1 had been a member of the ,corporation since #afee4 ,why they did nothing to assist their parents in their distress nobody has recorded4 ,there is no note of family feuds3 perhaps ,franz' pride refused natural assistance4 ,in #afee1 and again in #affj1 ,hals painted and dated many portraits1 as though he was forced to do something to keep the wolf from the door4 ,many of these are remarkable1 not only as the work of an old man1 but as exhibitions of new methods4 ,ren ,descartes1 at the ,louvre1 and ,tyman ,oosdorp1 at ,berlin--reminiscent perhaps of ,jan ,hornebeeck of ,leyden1 at ,brussels1 painted in #afdh--;have fixed unhappy faces1 all in dull black and grey1 with dark shadows suffusing everything4 ,surely they are reflections of the painter's darkening view of life in grumbling1 unmerry mood4 ,the clouds1 however1 appear to have been at least partially dissipated1 for in the latter year we have a smiling face again1 and1 perhaps1 one of the last which smiled on ,hals of ,antwerp6 ,the ,schlapphut1 ,the ,slouch ,hat1 now at ,cassel1 is a real chef-d'oeuvre4 ,a young man1 seated sideways1 with his arm across the back of his chair1 looks out of the grey-green-black background with a saucy air4 ,he is saying1 ,i wonder what you think of me6 ,it takes a little time to focus this impression1 for ,hals has dashed on his pigments almost too liberally1 and he has gashed and smeared the mass with his hardest brush4 ,when we do get the point of view1 we feel disposed immediately to snub the young upstart for his impertinence4 ,in spite of these spurts1 and others1 misfortune fell the way of ,franz and ,lysbeth ,hals4 ,in the spring of #affb the old man applied to the ,municipal ,council for assistance4 ,his plea was not in vain1 for1 with characteristic good-fellowship1 a dole was immediately forthcoming--fuel and aliment--and with them a benefaction of #aej ,carolus guilders 7circa #bf74 ,old ,hals could still1 vigorous old fellow that he was1 hold his palette and his brush--and to good use too--nor did he quite lack for patrons4 ,upon the ,board of the ,oudevrouwenhuis 7,old ,women's ,alms ,house7 were several old chums of his who1 in solemn conclave met1 agreed unanimously to commission the aged master to paint two portrait-groups--one of themselves1 and the other of the ,lady ,governors of the ,bguinage for old and reduced gentlewomen1 which ,mijnheer ,nicolaes ,van ,beresteyn had founded in #afaa4 ,this was a noble act of charity conceived in the best possible spirit1 for any fear of ,franz' ability was quite outweighed by the wish to minister1 so as not to offend in any way1 his amour propre4 ,and ,hals set to work upon the last efforts of his life1 and finished and dated both groups in #affd4 ,he was eighty-four2 and thus they are in the ,stadhuis1 side by side with his five festive ,schutters-stuken4 ,the ,regentessen van der ,oudevrouwenhuis 7,the ,lady ,governors of the ,old ,women's ,alms ,house7 are not distinguishable for youth or beauty1 and yet the five old faces are very attractive in their sternness4 ,probably they were quite prepared to resent any impropriety on the part of the jovial old artist4 ,their pursed-up lips1 their peering gaze1 and the muscular contraction of their hands convey this impression4 ,their garments are as plain as their persons1 and there is nothing decorative in the composition--everything is subdued black and grey1 but the illumination and animation are splendidly evident although held in check4 ,the ,regenten van der ,oudemannenhuis 7,the ,governors of the ,old ,men's ,alms ,house71 on the other hand1 has much less force1 and1 compared with the earlier group of #afda1 it is nerveless and moribund4 ,the five ,governors are old1 weary1 and sad4 ,the colours are greyish1 the brushwork feeble1 and expressionless faces match the ashen pallor of the skin4 ,their hands1 too1 have lost their grip1 and there is no curl in their hair4 ,humour is no longer ,hals' painting mixture1 the pathos of the passing is upon him2 and yet1 with an evident expiring effort1 the youngest of the five old men actually displays the gaiety of a scarlet knee-ribbon--it is the last impression of a parting touch6 ,and now the brush falls from the painter's hand2 the few colours left upon his palette are dry2 and his enfeebled vigour is tired out4 ,no doubt the emolument he received for these two most impressive1 most touching portrait-groups was in the nature of a pension to keep him and his old wife in something like comfort till the end4 ,for that end ,franz ,hals had not long to wait4 ,perhaps it is as well that we have no account of his sufferings and his death4 ,only one more historical note can be adduced to complete the life's story of ,hals of ,haarlem--the notice of his burial4 ,on ,september #a1 #afff1 all that remained of him was buried1 with some amount of circumstance1 in the ,groote ,keerke of ,st4 ,bavon4 ,his body rests in the choir1 with the ashes of ,haarlem's most famous sons1 and1 if no meretricious sculptured memorial exists to fix the very spot1 the monogram1 upon a flat stone underfoot1 ,f4 ,h41 reminds the pilgrim to the painter's shrine of all he was and all he did--simple and unaffected4 99 99 99 99 99 ,poor old ,lysbeth survived her husband many years1 as poor as poor could be4 ,in #afge she made a pathetic appeal for relief1 and the miserable pittance of fourteen sous a week was accorded her4 ,the dear old soul languished and died1 with apparently no child at hand to comfort her4 ,no record of her last hours tells where she died--probably in some ,oudevrouwenhuis or other1 and of her grave no man knoweth4 ,the plates are printed by ,,bemrose ,,sons1 ,,ltd41 ,derby and ,london ,the text at the ,,ballantyne ,,press1 ,edinburgh