On each episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings–The Podcast', American-Dutch art historian and Hals scholar John Bezold investigates and discusses the oeuvre of this celebrated artist from the Dutch Golden Age. Eternally overshadowed by his more famous painting peers, Rembrandt and Vermeer; this podcast seeks to discover–and share–why Frans Hals' paintings, and their brushwork, have captivated viewers for centuries.
In the 20th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. 1639 work titled Pieter Jacobsz Olycan, which is in the collection of the Ringling Museum of Art. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 128 in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number A3.32, in his of 2023. It was included in the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century of 1962, and in 2010 at the Dallas Museum of Art as part of the exhibition 'Frans Hals: Detecting a Decade'—where it was hung alongside another Hals portrait of Pieter, from about a decade earlier; hence the name. This portrait found its way into the collection of John Ringling and his wife Mable around 1927 and was bequested by them to the museum collection they created in 1936. In this portrait, Pieter, a brewer and former mayor of Haarlem, is presented in a half-length, three-quarter view against a restrained grey ground. He wears a broad white millstone ruff and a voluminous black cloak, whose dark mass anchors the composition. His body turns slightly to the left while his gaze meets the viewer with steady concentration. His gaze is proud, understated, sumptuous, and piercing—all at once.
You can find John on X @johnbezold (https://twitter.com/JohnBezold) and at his website johnbezold.com (https://johnbezold.com/about/).
'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by Semicolon-Press. (https://semicolon-press.com/)
8 Jan 2025
Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1626
In the 19th episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' c. 1626 'Portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz Massa', which is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Seymour Slive numbered the work number 21, in his 1974 catalogue, and Claus Grimm accepted it as number 30, in his 1989. It was accepted by Wilhelm von Bode, Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, and William Valentiner. It has been included in the all of the solo Hals exhibitions of the twentieth century, as well as in those of the twenty-first. Prior to its acquisition by the Art Gallery of Ontario, in 1955, it had been in the collection of John Spencer (1924-1992), father of Diana Princess of Wales. The painting features a seated man depicted in a three-quarter view, turned slightly to his left, his face angled toward the viewer. The subject is clad in a richly textured black garment, adorned with subtle patterns that add visual depth. Around his neck, he wears an extravagant white ruff collar, its intricate lacework radiating outward in soft folds that frame his face. Its landscaped background—on suggestion of Seymour Slive, and his proposal for who painted it—has ignited a debate in Hals studies about hals’ landscapes; a conversation that has continued since talk of someone helping with Hals' landscapes was first discussed by Wilhelm von Bode, in 1922.
Read Claus Grimm’s 2024 article about Hals’ landscapes and his proposal of Gerrit Bleker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrit_Claesz_Bleker) being the one who created them within several of Hals' paintings, published in Old Holland (https://brill.com/view/journals/oh/137/1-2/article-p34_2.xml).
Read Wilhelm von Bode’s 1922 article (https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/kk1922/0240/image,info) 'Frans Hals als Landschafter'.
You can find John on X @johnbezold (https://twitter.com/JohnBezold) and at his website johnbezold.com (https://johnbezold.com/about/).
'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by Semicolon-Press. (https://semicolon-press.com/)
14 Nov 2024
Issac Abrahamsz Massa, 1660s
Frans Hals expert John Bezold delves into the masterful portrait of Issac Abrahamsz Massa, showcasing Hals' refined techniques and candid, conversational quality.
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3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
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Engagement
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