Description of the picture:
Gypsy – Frans Hals. Wood, oil. 58 x 52 cm
The demanded master of painting, Frans Hals, paints portraits of people from different walks of life – military, local burghers, regents, shooters and their lovers, as well as revelers, innkeepers, fishermen and other ordinary people. The latter are especially good at the author. He himself is a man full of vital health, a sense of humor, he loves people in all their manifestations and knows how to find a spark in each of his hero and transfer it to the canvas.
In the prime of his life, in 1630, he painted a vivid portrait – “Gypsy”. Only looking at him does the viewer realize that in front of him is one of the talented works of the master Hals. The girl was shown by the author at an emotional moment: a crafty smile, a look directed at an invisible viewer of the interlocutor, whom she probably led into embarrassment with her mockery.
Only an uncovered head and a ribbon flickering in the hair speaks of belonging to a nomadic people. And outwardly she doesn’t even look like a gypsy, we can say that this is an ordinary village girl – cheerful, open to the joys of life.
Black hair spread over the shoulders gives an additional movement to her already lively and mobile figure. She is charming and direct in expressing her emotions. The cheerfulness and liberty of a gypsy is expressed by the author in her clothes as well. When conducting research on the canvas, we found out that initially the cutout on the girl’s chest was more modest. Apparently, Hals felt that the daughter of a free people should be just that – lively, impudent, liberated, not obliged to follow the concepts of ethical standards that existed at that time.
The portrait of the girl is painted, as it were, with separate, but light blurry strokes, which only more strongly emphasize the dynamism of the figure. Soft, silvery tones, rays of light gently gliding along her face and the whole contour – all this creates the feeling that the author himself is full of delight from contemplating his heroine. Her energy, spontaneity, naturalness, temperament, her facial expressions, her sly smile and young fervor.
The artist caught this liveliness and ardor and writes them with pleasure. Indeed, in the painting of the 16-17th centuries, the image of a person was considered strict and solemn, without obvious emotions, as a classic and correct portrait.
But Frans Hals himself is an energetic and cheerful person, therefore the portrait of the girl makes him stop in amazement, because it reflects the author’s charm with his model and his great enthusiasm when writing the portrait of this beautiful, cheerful, free gypsy."