Artwork
Portrait of Paulus Verschuur
Portrait of Paulus Verschuur is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Frans Hals. It dates from 1643 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays Paulus Verschuur, a male sitter, as a straightforward likeness typical of 17th-century Dutch portraiture.
The painting portrays Paulus Verschuur, a male sitter, as a straightforward likeness typical of 17th-century Dutch portraiture. Executed by Frans Hals in 1643 in Haarlem, the work is classified as a portrait, indicating its primary function was to record the appearance and identity of the depicted individual. As such, the image serves as a visual document of Verschuur's presence in society, reflecting the conventions of status representation found in Dutch Golden Age portraiture.
Technique & Style
The Portrait of Paulus Verschuur is an oil painting on canvas created in 1643 in Haarlem. The work measures roughly 118.7 cm in height by 94 cm in width and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece belongs to the portrait genre and depicts a single male sitter, Paulus Verschuur, in a straightforward composition typical of Dutch Golden Age portraiture. Its formal qualities reflect the realistic rendering and restrained palette associated with Frans Hals's portrait practice.
History & Provenance
Frans Hals's 1643 oil painting Portrait of Paulus Verschuur is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, executed on canvas and measuring 118.7 by 94 centimetres, depicts the sitter Paulus Verschuur. The available documentation does not list a specific accession number or formal exhibition history for this portrait.
Overview
Frans Hals the Elder, a prominent Dutch Golden Age painter, completed this oil portrait of Paulus Verschuur in 1643. The artwork reflects the flourishing artistic environment of the Netherlands during the 17th century. It showcases Hals's renowned ability to capture the likeness of wealthy citizens, a skill highly valued in his native Haarlem. This painting is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of immense cultural and artistic prosperity, this portrait exemplifies the era's demand for art. Frans Hals was a leading figure in Haarlem, where his portraiture was highly sought after by the city's prosperous merchant class for both individual and group commissions. The painting thus provides insight into the visual culture and social aspirations of 17th-century Dutch burghers.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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 of…
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