The happy drinker
The happy drinker ( De vrolijke drinker ) is a painting by Frans Hals from 1628. It was painted in oil on canvas and is 81 × 66.5 cm in size. The painting hangs in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam .
Image description
The sitter is wearing a light- colored leather doublet with a gold portrait - medallion on his belt. Pointed collar, cuffs and a round black hat complete the clothing. Everything is tailored to the moment: the flashing eyes, the half-open mouth, the raised right hand and the slanted wine glass in the left. The man looks natural and relaxed. Nose and cheeks are red from enjoying wine. He turns to the viewer, his lips are open to speak. Dark, sweeping lines mark the folds in the sleeve, the jagged outer line of the arm suggests a sudden movement.
Hals painted with loose brushstrokes. This creates the impression of immediate liveliness. Dark splashes of paint for the beard and mustache, white spots for the reflections on the wine glass and the sweat-covered forehead confirm this impression. His seemingly spontaneous, isolated lines appear in the near image viewing almost as confused. From a reasonable distance, however, they combine to form a brilliant texture.
literature
- Art Epochs, Volume 8, Baroque. By Sabine Burbaum, Philipp Reclam jun. Stuttgart 2003.
- Hugh Honor - John Fleming, World History of Art, German edition Prestel-Verlag Munich 1985.
- Hermann Bauer, Baroque in the Netherlands. Painting of the Netherlands in the 17th century. In: Painting of the Baroque, ed. by Ingo F. Walther, Benedikt Taschen-Verlag 1997.
- Art: the history of its functions / ed. by Werner Busch and Peter Schmoock.- Weinheim, Berlin, 1987