Portret van Frans Hals 1779

This print portraying Frans Hals was made in 1779 by Richard Brookshaw, who was inspired by a painting by F. Hals. It gives us a glimpse into how artistic reputations are constructed across time and geography. Made in England, this engraving depicts the famous Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, who lived two centuries before Brookshaw. Brookshaw would likely have seen Hals's paintings in a private collection, which he credits in the inscription, indicative of art's movement through networks of connoisseurship. The image is framed as a kind of memorial, like a coin or sculpted bust. This artistic choice shows the high esteem in which painters like Hals were being held at the time. Studying this image in tandem with others helps us piece together the history of taste and the rise of the art market. It also illuminates the ways in which the institutions of art shape our view of the past.