THE MERRY TOPER
This is my rendition of “The Merry Toper” by Frans Hals (1581-1666). The famous artist worked in Haarlem (in Holland, not in N.Y.C.!) and is considered by many to be the best Dutch portrait painter after Rembrandt. Hals was the painter of smile and happiness. Common findings are rosey cheeks, partying, with lots of drinking going on, especially in his group portraits. His brushwork is modern and vigorous. As did many other great artists before and after him, Hals died poverty-stricken, in a workhouse. The original “Toper” is in the great Rijks museum in Amsterdam. The fake you see here hangs on my dining room wall.
Pastel on paper 1978