Oil on panel 1627 Frans Hals
Oil on Panel 1662 Jan De Bray
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY VISIT
FRANS HALS
There was a lot of Gothic and Renaissance art in this gallery which i appreciate but it's not my 'go to'. However, i saw Hals' portraits and really liked them. his painting "Pieter Verdonck" really captures the personality of the sitter, i think this is quite a modern looking portrait for a painting of 1627. the colours are very earthy and neutral but the quirkiness of the beard is what really jumps out at the viewer, the subtle highlights from gentle small brushstrokes bring the piece to life and i think that's important to remember, little things like that can make a big difference to a painting.
JAN DE BRAY
Accompanied by Hals' painting were four portraits done by Jan De Bray in a similar style to Hals. This pieces was my favourite of the four because to me, as a viewer, i was drawn to the child's face because he isn't looking at the viewer he's interested in something else and although its obvious this is a painting, the eyes look very realistic the way De Bray has captured the light and shape does make it look very real.