HALS, Frans
(b. 1580, Antwerpen, d. 1666, Haarlem)

Portrait of a Bearded Man with a Ruff

1625
Oil on canvas, 76 x 64 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

According to the original inscription, the unidentified sitter was thirty-six years old when Hals painted the portrait in 1625. The feathery touch with which Hals painted the lace ruff is one of the most attractive features of the portrait. The man's gesture, placing his hand on his heart, suggests sincerity.