Title of Artwork: “The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almhouse, Haarlem”
Artwork by Frans Hals
Year Created 1664
Summary of The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almhouse, Haarlem
Frans Hals painted a portrait of the Oude Mannenhuis in Haarlem, the Netherlands, of the four regentesses and their servants who lived at the Old Men’s Almshouse in Haarlem. Along with the Old Men’s Almshouse Regents, it forms a pendant.
All About The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almhouse, Haarlem
The regentesses depicted were Adriaentje Schouten, Marijtje Willems, Anna van Damme, and Adriana Bredenhof, despite the fact that it is no longer known which face belongs to which name.
In his “loose style” Frans Hals used rough brush strokes to depict them. Tradition has it that the painting was created in 1664, but no archival evidence has been found to back up this assertion. Experts believe this portrait was painted at the end of Hals’ life, when he painted more loosely than he did in his younger years, due to the lack of any meticulous finishing. Also, the style of the women’s dress indicates that the portrait was taken well after the millstone collars of the 1640s and earlier were worn. The Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, where the painting was originally hung, still displays it in its original location. An unidentified painting on the back wall may be an allegory of Jesus Christ’s Good Samaritan, according to Pieter Biesboer, but no figures can be seen in it.
When Hals’ loose brushwork was popularised by impressionists in the nineteenth century, many copies of this painting were made, including:
One of the heads was duplicated by Max Lieberman as well. According to a witness of his last visit, James Abbott McNeill Whistler was “completely charmed by the old women” during his three visits to study the Frans Hals paintings.
Information Citations
En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.
