Hals is best known for his ability to catch a “spitting image” of his subjects; perhaps his all-too-accurate rendering ability is the reason why he had so few commissions. Like many Dutch painters who produced works for the open market, Hals painted for a variety of clientelle, and the images he is most well-known for today are the genre portraits which were quickly painted and often with an eye towards economy of materials. The higher-profile paintings, ironically, show his limitations more than his strengths. Hals produced many portraits, yet he utilized only a select few standard attitudes in his poses.

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