Skip to content Skip to menu Skip to site map
This site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using this site you agree to receiving cookies under our Cookie Policy.
Locations +
Amgueddfa Cymru
Cymraeg
Collections & Research

Amgueddfa
Cymru
Family

National Museum Cardiff

St Fagans National Museum of History

National Waterfront Museum

Big Pit National Coal Museum

National Slate Museum

National Wool Museum

National Roman Legion Museum

  • Collections & Research
  • Collections & Research
  • Ancient Wales
  • Art
  • Articles
  • Bronze Age Gold from Wales
  • Celf ar y Cyd
  • Collections Online
  • Covid Stories
  • Health, Wellbeing and Amgueddfa Cymru
  • History
  • Natural History
  • On Your Doorstep: Nature, geology and archaeology in Wales
  • Questionnaires past and present: engaging and collecting through Covid
  • Refugee Wales
  • The Museum at Work
  • Welsh Foods
  • Historic Photography
  • Departments
  • National Collections Centre

Collections Online

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Advanced Search

Advanced Search

Image filter options
Back to search results

Portrait of a Lady

Artist: HALS, Frans (attributed to)

This plump, middle-aged woman folds her hands contentedly and gazes out at us. The loose brushwork in the hands suggests the work of the great Dutch master Frans Hals, who is best known for his vivacious portraits of wealthy citizens. It was once thought that this was a portrait of the artist's wife but now her identity is a mystery. The picture seems to have been extended at the top

Portrait of a woman
Image: © Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
Portrait of a Woman
Image: © Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Collection Area

Art

Item Number

NMW A 25

Creation/Production

HALS, Frans (attributed to)
Role: Creation
Date:

Acquisition

Bequest, 12/12/1963

Measurements

Height: 77.4cm
Width: 63cm

Techniques

oil on canvas
Techniques (fine art)
art dept - fine
Fine Art - painting

Material

oil
canvas

Location

Gallery 03

Collections Online is updated regularly, but please confirm that a work remains on display before making a special visit.

Categories

Painting Fine Art Record to be verified Portrait

Comments - (3)

Philip Garrahan
6 January 2022, 11:30
This image bears a strong likeness to a self portraits by another painter - Judith Leyster - who was active in her own right in Haarlem and Amsterdam from 1621. Leyster is thought to have been apprenticed to Hals at one point. Has this connection been pursued in relation to the identity of the sitter?

Indeed, might Lesyter have painted this image? There is at least one well known example of a painting by Hals being correctly attributed to Leyster after her unique monogram was detected through close examination of the picture's surface.

I can copy in detailed references if this is of interest?
Amgueddfa Cymru
25 March 2013, 10:59
Dear Teddy,
Many thanks for your comment, and bringing this to our attention. We have now investigated this, and have updated our records with an updated birthdate, there is still some dispute about his date of birth, therefore we have amended to 1581/5.
Teddy Kiendl
22 March 2013, 08:06
There's some disagreement as to Frans Hals birth date and, yes, he did have a long life but he certainly didn't live live for 105 years. His correct birth should be around 1580-1583 giving him a long life but not a spectacularly long one.
Comments are currently unavailable. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Related Items

Portrait of a man, bust length
Art

Portrait of a man, bust length

Artist: VAN DYCK, Sir Anthony
NMW A 36
More information
Portrait of a girl
Art

Portrait of a girl

Artist: OPIE, John (attributed to) (1761-1807)
NMW A 5011
More information
Portrait of a girl
Art

Portrait of a girl

Artist: MANCINI, Antonio
NMW A 2175
More information
Portrait of a Man
Art

Portrait of a Man

Artist: HEEMSKERCK, Maerten van (1498-1574)
NMW A 234
More information

Site Map

Amgueddfa Cymru

Amgueddfa Cymru

  • Visiting
  • Collections & Research
  • Learning
  • Blog
  • Support Us
  • Shop
  • Venue Hire

Our Museums

  • National Museum Cardiff
  • St Fagans National Museum of History
  • National Waterfront Museum
  • Big Pit National Coal Museum
  • National Slate Museum
  • National Wool Museum
  • National Roman Legion Museum

Connect With Us

  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Join the Mailing List
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Corporate

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Press Office
  • Commercial Picture Library
  • National Collections Centre
  • Working with Others
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies Policy
  • Copyright
Sponsored by Welsh Government
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Charity No. 525774
× ❮ ❯
Portrait of a woman
© Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
Portrait of a Woman
© Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
  • Portrait of a woman
  • Portrait of a Woman