Frans hals

The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals

Andrew Graham-Dixon offers his shortlist for an imaginary exhibition of favourite paintings inspired by love and marriage

Comfort is a relatively new concept in human history. In our era, which values ease and relaxation, we may find it impossible to imagine a living...

Throughout the (almost) year that I’ve been writing this blog, a consistent topic and theme has been Salem’s transformation into “Witch City”, either through private marketing efforts like Daniel Low’s “witch spoons” and Frank Cousins’ branded products and photographs, or through public campaigns like the city’s official schedule of “Haunted Happenings”. We’ve seen it all: …

With Jimi Hendrix paintings, wall murals and even biscuit tins inspired by it, the 1624 painting The Laughing Cavalier still reverberates today, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee.

You can almost smell the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle emanating from the garden alcove in this full-length portrait by Peter Paul Rubens of Rubens and his new wife, Isabella Brant

The ~ Artworks of Frans Hals

In his early commissioned portraits Hals adhered more closely to the old technique and to accepted conventions than in his genre works. During the first decades of his career he continued to follow the ancient idea of adjusting his style to his subject. Of course it is appropriate that the gestures and expressions of the nurse and the elegantly dressed Catherina are more refined than those used by a boisterous group celebrating carnival. The double portrait is an excellent early example of…