My Museum Visit

Family Group in a Landscape
Created in 1645-1648
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Hello class and everyone else reading this! For my museums visit I found this particular portrait very interesting. The Portrait is called " Family Group in a Landscape" and it was painted using the style of oil on canvas. It was painted by Frans Hals who is considered to be the most brilliant exponent of Dutch portraiture. The backstory of this painting was to express the trade and Finances between wealthy citizens that were keen for their ability in capturing the personality of others. On the museum website it says " Frans achieved with a broad, loose brushwork that seems very modern for his period."( Thyssen-Bornemisza, Frans Hals, Room 23). His artwork seemed to be more advanced but kept a strong sense of his society. This portrait can be seen to express different lifestyles in a very modern looking painting.

The JSTOR article I read was called " Frans Hals: Style and Substance" and it describe in great detail the different styles of portraits he liked to create. It goes into detail when looking at Frans most used painting style which was oil on canvas. In the article " Frans Hals: Style and Substance it says he instantly invokes the images of bourgeois bonhomie, and has done so since the middle of the nineteenth century." (Frans Hals: S and S, pg.1, PP 1) He has stuck to this particular painting style throughout most of his career continuing to create masterpieces.

Frans Hals, " Family Group in a Landscape 1645-1648," Museothyssen.org, 1934

" The Laughing Cavalier, 1624"
Frans Hals
London

I found it very interesting that between the two websites some of the same references came up between Frans Hals influences and artistic ideals. I found that he really liked to express different peoples lifestyles as can also be seen in the portrait above. Personally I have taken a liking to his creative expertise using very dark colors but still expressing the persons significance or role in society. If I were a painter/ portrait creator I believe that I would also try to take this more monotone approach with my work. Overall I believe that Frans Hals was a magnificent artist for his time influencing many people all around the world to come experience his paintings in museums.