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Two imposing portraits of the same sitter painted a decade apart showcase the revolutionary technique of Frans Hals (1582/83–1666), the first major artist of free Holland. Hals, along with Rembrandt and Vermeer, is considered to be the third genius of the Dutch Golden Age. He was the foremost portraitist of his time, recognized for “painting character” through virtuosic, loose, and animated brushwork. The portraits of Pieter Jacobsz. Olycan, one of the most powerful men in the Dutch city of Haarlem, demonstrate the evolution of the artist’s technique at the peak of his career.
Image: Frans Hals, Portrait of Pieter Jacobsz. Olycan, 1629–30, oil on panel, Private Collection, courtesy of David Koetser Gallery, Zurich