Frans Hals was one of the greatest portraitist artists of the Dutch school in the 17th century. He is among the most brilliant portrait painters in art history. We don´t know too much about his formation, but we do know he was born around 1580 in Antwerpen. In 1585, after Antwerpen had fallen to the Spaniards, the family moved to Haarlem in the Northern Low Countries where Frans would stay his whole life.

Frans took painting lessons from the Flemish painter Karel van Mander, who also had fled the Spaniards, but his ideas left no visible trail in Frans' work. The earliest work that we know of dates from 1611.

Hals was the first to evolve a technique that was close to impressionism in its looseness, and he painted with increasing freedom as he grew older. For a short period of time, in his early life, he and Rembrandt shared a studio and often painted together.

His work was in high demand throughout his life, although his financial situation was less than wonderful. His creditors brought him to court several times. He had ten children and since painting did not earn enough money, Frans doubled as an art dealer and restaurator.

Frans Hals died in 1666.