Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626)

The Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626) is an oil on wood painting created by Frans Hals in 1626. This masterful work exemplifies Dutch Golden Age portraiture, capturing the subject with the characteristic immediacy and vibrant, loose brushwork for which Hals is renowned. Unlike many contemporary Netherlandish portraits that emphasized minute detail and outward displays of wealth, this piece, rendered on a relatively small wooden panel, focuses intensely on the sitter’s face and demeanor. Anna van der Aar was likely depicted around the age of fifty, providing a valuable historical document of a successful woman of her time.

Hals utilized economical yet energetic strokes to convey texture and light, contributing to the intimate and psychologically acute atmosphere of the painting. The representation of women in 17th-century Northern European portraits often served practical functions, such as commemorating a marriage or establishing social status. In this portrait, Hals achieves a sense of vitality and presence that transcends mere documentation. The work is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it contributes to their extensive holdings of Dutch painting. Due to its historical importance and the renown of its creator, the image is frequently published, and high-quality prints derived from the original artwork are often available through public domain initiatives, allowing broader study of Hals’s technical approach.