The artwork “Boy with a Lute” is a Baroque-era oil painting on canvas by the Dutch master Frans Hals, created around 1625. The dimensions of the painting are 72.1 cm by 59.1 cm. It falls under the portrait and tronie genre, which is a type of work depicting an exaggerated facial expression or a character in costume, rather than a specific individual.
In the painting, a young boy is depicted in a three-quarter view, looking directly at the viewer with a playful and engaging expression. He holds a lute, an instrument popular during the Baroque period, against his right shoulder, with his right hand holding the neck of the instrument, appearing as though he’s about to play. The boy wears a wide-brimmed black hat, which is tilted back on his head, and his curly hair peaks out from under the hat. He has a ruddy and joyous face, with rosy cheeks and lively eyes that contribute to the sense of liveliness and immediacy in the painting.
The boy is dressed in a black outfit with a prominent white lace collar, a feature that was fashionable in Dutch clothing at the time. The elegance of the costume suggests a sense of affluence or social status, which is common for portrait subjects of the era. The deep reds of his sleeves add a rich contrast to the painting. His left arm leans against the lute and his hand is poised on the instrument in a relaxed manner. There’s a light source illuminating the boy’s face and hands, emphasizing his facial features and the texture of his clothing.
A brown curtain is draped in the background, and a table with a seemingly casual arrangement of an orange and possibly sheet music or paper sits beside him. The painting is notable for Hals’ characteristic loose and energetic brushwork, which gives a sense of immediacy and spontaneity to the work. Hals was known for capturing the vitality of his subjects, and “Boy with a Lute” is an excellent example of his skill in depicting the lifelike essence of a person in a moment of time.
