Frans Hals Exhibition Brings 'The Laughing Cavalier' to Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is set to host a major exhibition dedicated to the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, running from February 16 to June 9, 2024. This significant event will feature approximately 50 of Hals's most renowned paintings, with many works loaned from prestigious international collections, offering visitors a comprehensive look at his distinctive style.
A highlight of the exhibition will be the temporary return of Hals's celebrated work, The Laughing Cavalier (1624), to the Netherlands for the first time in over 150 years. This iconic portrait has been housed at the Wallace Collection in London since 1870, and its loan to the Rijksmuseum marks a historic occasion following the London museum's decision in 2019 to begin lending artworks.
Frans Hals: A Pioneer of 17th-Century Dutch Portraiture
Frans Hals (1582/1584 – 1666) is recognized as one of the most innovative artists of the 17th century, celebrated for his dynamic, almost impressionistic painting style. He was a master at capturing the lively expressions of his subjects, from dignified regents to joyful musicians and children, making them appear to breathe on canvas. His unique approach, characterized by rapid brushwork, allowed him to convey an unprecedented sense of movement and vitality in his portraits. Hals was also one of the few artists of his time who successfully depicted people smiling and laughing, a challenging feat that brought his subjects to life.
This exhibition represents the first major solo show of Hals's work at the Rijksmuseum and on such a grand scale since the comprehensive exhibition of 1989-1990. It aims to re-establish Hals's standing as a truly boundary-breaking artist, influencing later masters like Courbet, Manet, Monet, and Van Gogh.
Experience Frans Hals's Masterworks in Amsterdam and Haarlem
The Rijksmuseum's exhibition is organized in collaboration with the National Gallery, London, and Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. It also includes a special partnership with the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. Unique loans to the Amsterdam presentation include The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company (1616) and The Regentesses of the Old Men's Almshouse (c. 1664) from the Frans Hals Museum, neither of which has been loaned before. Other notable works include Fisher Boy (c. 1630) from a private collection and Laughing Boy (c. 1625) from the Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Visitors to the exhibition have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the artist by visiting Haarlem, the city where Hals lived, worked, and was buried. Just a 15-minute train journey from Amsterdam, Haarlem is home to the Frans Hals Museum and the St. Bavokerk.
Planning Your Visit: Dates, Loans, and Activities
The exhibition at the Rijksmuseum will take a thematic approach, dedicating each of its ten galleries in the Phillips Wing to a different aspect of Hals’s work. Themes include smiles and laughter, family portraits, solo male subjects, and group portraits, offering diverse perspectives on his oeuvre. The exhibition is curated by Friso Lammertse and Tamar van Riessen from the Rijksmuseum, in partnership with Bart Cornelis from the National Gallery, London.
Beyond the paintings, the Rijksmuseum will offer a range of accompanying programs. These include an online discovery tour, audio guides, various guided tours (including those for hearing-impaired, sight-impaired, and sensory-friendly experiences), and family activities such as a quiz and creative workshops for children. A special workshop titled "Paint Portraits Like Frans Hals" will also be available. An exhibition catalogue, available in both Dutch and English, further explores Hals's life and work. For more details about the exhibition, visitors can refer to the Rijksmuseum's dedicated Frans Hals page.
To explore more cultural experiences in the city, visitors can browse other upcoming exhibitions in Amsterdam or discover more museums through Musemap (musemap.art).
