Rijksmuseum Frans Hals – Strokes of Genius Exhibition

An unprecedented collection of Frans Hals’ oeuvre

The Frans Hals – Strokes of Genius exhibition brings together around fifty key works from Frans Hals’ extensive oeuvre. This means that around a quarter of the surviving paintings by Frans Hals will be on display at the Rijksmuseum. The exhibition includes several works that normally never leave their permanent homes.

The Laughing Cavalier will travel to Amsterdam from the Wallace Collection in London. The Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard will make its first trip outside of the city of Haarlem, where it is usually on display at the dedicated Frans Hals Museum. Catharina Hooft with her Nurse and Malle Babbe are on special loan from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the Fruit and Vegetable Seller from a private collection in Bridgenorth, and the Family Group in a Landscape from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.

Explore Frans Hals’ influential style

Frans Hals’ painting style set the standard for many others who followed, so much so that it can be easy to forget that he was the founder. His distinctive, freewheeling painting style takes centre stage at the Strokes of Genius exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The exhibition takes you through his career to see how he developed his style, while also painting you a picture of live in the 17^th-century.

One-by-one, each painting shows you how he broke with convention and gained confidence as he paved his own way in the art world. His style gained Frans Hals praise and prestige, and a reputation as a forerunner of impressionism. This exhibition on the Dutch master Frans Hals is a must-visit when you are in Amsterdam in the spring of 2024.

See more Dutch masters at the Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands, with a collection spanning over 800 years of history. After visiting the Frans Hals exhibition you can visit the rest of the museum, which is included in your ticket. Other Dutch masters on display include Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer.