Artwork
A Young Man in a Large Hat
A Young Man in a Large Hat is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Frans Hals. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
Since entering the museum, it has been part of the institution’s permanent displays, appearing in exhibitions of Dutch portraiture and related shows.
Created in 1628 in Haarlem, A Young Man in a Large Hat is an oil-on-panel portrait by Frans Hals. The work's early history includes a period where it was attributed to Jan Miense Molenaer before Abraham Bredius reattributed it to Hals. According to Hans Schneider, C.J.G. Bredius acquired the painting for 60 florins as part of an inheritance by 1918.
The chain of ownership continued when the work was sold through M. Knoedler & Co. on January 30, 1929, to Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon subsequently deeded the painting to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust on June 28, 1937, before it was gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1940. Earlier claims regarding ownership by Van der Hoop and Slochteren remain unconfirmed.
The work titled A Young Man in a Large Hat, painted by Frans Hals in 1628, entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. through a series of transfers that began with its ownership by C.J.G. Bredius in the Netherlands and culminated in a 1940 gift from Andrew W. Mellon to the museum. Prior to its acquisition, the painting passed through the dealers Knoedler & Co. and was sold in 1929 to Mellon. Since entering the museum, it has been part of the institution’s permanent displays, appearing in exhibitions of Dutch portraiture and related shows.
Context
A Young Man in a Large Hat is an oil-on-panel portrait dated 1628 by Frans Hals, held in the National Gallery of Art as part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection. Initially attributed to Jan Miense Molenaer when it entered the Bredius collection in 1918, the work was reattributed to Hals by Abraham Bredius, who lent it to the Mauritshuis for study. This reassessment was later noted in Hans Schneider’s 1918–1919 Kunstchronik article and incorporated into Seymour Slive’s Hals catalogue raisonné (1970–1974), reflecting evolving scholarship and critical reception of the painting within Hals’s portraiture.
Overview
A Young Man in a Large Hat, painted by Frans Hals the Elder in 1628, exemplifies the artist's celebrated approach to portraiture during the Dutch Golden Age. Executed in oil on panel, this work captures a specific individual, showcasing Hals's skill in rendering personal character. The painting is a notable example of the genre that brought Hals significant acclaim in 17th-century Haarlem.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young man framed within an oval, wearing a broad hat. He is dressed in a brown jacket detailed with buttons, a stark white collar, and a red tie. His right hand holds a glass, while his left remains out of view.
This attire and pose are characteristic of 17th-century fashion and portrait conventions, offering a glimpse into the period's social presentation.
Technique & Style
Hals employed a dynamic and expressive brushwork, a hallmark of his style, to imbue his portraits with a sense of vitality and individual personality. In this work, the artist's use of chiaroscuro is evident, creating strong contrasts between light and shadow. This technique lends depth and dimensionality to the figure, enhancing the realism and presence of the young man within the composition.
Own this work as a print
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…
