Jan Hals

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Jan Hals (1620, Haarlem – 1654, Haarlem) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

Biography[edit]

According to Houbraken he was the son of the painter Frans Hals and was like his brothers Harmen and Frans II, good at music and painting.[1] He was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke.[1] He had two children, Jan Jansz and Klaas, of whom one was still alive when Houbraken was writing.[1] Houbraken claimed the son who was still alive (at the time he was writing, c.1704-1710) had emigrated to the East Indies where he lived with a mestizo whom he married for her money, in a house filled with paintings "in the Dutch manner".[1] Houbraken heard this story from J. Wieland, an elderly art collector who had known the family.[1]

According to the RKD he was the son of Frans Hals and his second wife, Lysbeth Reyniersdr. He was the half-brother of Harmen and Frans II, and the full brother of Reynier and Nicolaes.[2] He was the brother-in-law of Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten.[2] He had the bentname "De Gulden Esel" (the golden easel),[2] but he is not recorded in Italy, so it is difficult to understand how he came to join the Bentvueghels. He married in 1648 but his wife died only 6 months later.[2] He married a second time to Sara Gerritsdr in 1649, but they appear to both be dead by 1654, when two sons are sent to the orphanage.[2] He is known for portraits and scenes of daily life.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e (in Dutch) Jan Hals Fransz[permanent dead link] in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jan Hals in the RKD