1634
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Portrait of Tieleman Roosterman is a 1634 unspecified by Frans Hals, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a well-dressed man in black, his crisp white collar bright against the dark suit. His sleeves are trimmed with tiny buttons and ribbons, and he stands with one hand resting on his hip. Frans Hals painted this in quick, loose strokes—you can almost see the brush moving. Most Dutch portraits of the time were smooth and polished, but Hals left the marks visible, giving the man a lively, almost breathing presence. If you like this loose style, look up *impasto*—thick paint that stands out on the canvas.
An extremely wealthy linen and silk merchant in Haarlem, Tieleman Roosterman was 36 years old when Frans Hals painted his portrait. Unlike many Dutch painters of the period, Hals favored strong, visible brushstrokes that convey the vitality of his sitters. Roosterman strikes a confident pose, his costume sober but luxurious: his sleeves are decorated with braid and buttons, and ribbon rosettes encircle the waist of his doublet. The rich black of his suit is offset by the broad linen collar and lace-edged cuffs—fashionable details befitting a successful cloth merchant.
Roosterman may have ordered this portrait--and one of his wife--to commemorate their wedding in 1631.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Frans Hals the Elder (UK: , US: ; Dutch: ; c. 1582 – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He lived and worked in Haarlem, a city in which the local authority of the day frowned on religious painting in places…
See the richer artist page
