In the fifth episode of 'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast’, I discuss Frans Hals' genre painting titled Laughing Fisherboy, which is in a private collection. The painting has long been attributed to Hals by scholars Cornelius Hofstede de Groot (1863-1930), Ernst Wilhelm Moes (1864-1912), Wilhelm Valentiner (1880-1958), and Seymour Slive (1920-2014). Slive numbered the work number 55, in his 1974 catalogue. The painting shows a lively portrait of a young man, caught in a moment of laughter, set against a backdrop of a dune landscape. The subject is more than likely standing, facing the viewer, and he is turned slightly to his right. His body is angled away, but his head is turned toward the viewer, engaging the viewer with direct eye contact. His mouth is open wide as if he is laughing heartily, and his eyes are crinkled with look of joy. The expression is vivid and dynamic, suggesting a spontaneous response to an amusing situation. The painting is located in a private collection and is hardly ever on view; it was last exhibited, in 1962.

To learn more about 'fisher children' by Hals, read Susan Koslow's 1975 article entitled ‘Frans Hals’s Fisherboys: Exemplars of Idleness’.

See also, chapter three, of Dennis P. Weller's 2022 book, Frans Hals in America: Collectors, Scholars, and Connoisseurs.

You can find John on X @johnbezold and at his website ⁠⁠⁠johnbezold.com⁠⁠⁠.

'Frans Hals Paintings—The Podcast' is published by Semicolon-Press.