| Laughing Cavalier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Frans Hals |
| Year | 1624 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 83 cm × 67.3 cm (33 in × 26.5 in) |
| Location | Wallace Collection, London |
The Laughing Cavalier (1624) is a portrait by the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals in the Wallace Collection in London.[1] It was described by art historian Seymour Slive as "one of the most brilliant of all Baroque portraits".[2] The title is an invention of the Victorian public and press, dating from its exhibition in the opening display at the Bethnal Green Museum in 1872–1875, just after its arrival in England, after which it was regularly reproduced as a print, and became one of the best known old master paintings in Britain.[3] The unknown subject is in fact not laughing, but can be said to have an enigmatic smile, much amplified by his upturned moustache.[4]
- ^ Rudi Ekkart and Quentin Buvelot (eds), Dutch Portraits: The Age of Rembrandt and Frans Hals, 2007, Mauritshuis/National Gallery/Waanders Publishers, Zwolle, ISBN 978-1-85709-362-9
- ^ Slive, p.38
- ^ Da Silva, José (31 August 2023). "Drunkard or genius? London's National Gallery gets up close and personal with Frans Hals". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Ingamells, 136, and note 1