Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626)
1626
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
8 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (22.2 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
Frans Hals's *Anna van der Aar*1626) is a gem of intimate portraiture from the Dutch Age. This oil on wood panel, measuring just 8¾ × 6½ inches, captures the middle-aged subject—born around 1576–77 and living past 1626—with remarkable immediacy. Likely a personal commission, its diminutive scale suggests it was meant for private devotion or close study, a format Hals occasionally used to showcase his skill in tight compositions. Hals, a Haarlem master renowned for his loose, energetic brushwork and ability to convey personality through expressive faces, brings Anna to life with vibrant realis...
About the Artist
Frans Hals · 1582–1666
Dutch portrait artist whose unique style of loose brushstrokes was labeled 'unfinished' by some at the time, but whose work is now regarded as equally important to Rembrandt's. Hals painted 'wet on wet'; that coupled with his brushwork and his powerful illumination of his subjects' head and face, his portraits seem more animated than others. Although the reception to his work was often mixed, Hals...