Portrait of a seated young man with a broad brim hat

Frans Hals's Portrait of a Seated Young Man with a Broad Brim Hat of around 1628 depicts an unidentified young Haarlem gentleman in the fashionable wide-brimmed hat that appears in many Dutch portraits of the 1620s. The seated position and the broad hat's shadow over the upper face create a compositional informality unusual in Dutch formal portraiture, and Hals exploits the spatial interest of the seated figure to create a portrait of unusual depth. The young man's easy bearing and slight smile capture the self-conscious fashionability of prosperous Dutch youth.

The broad hat creates a dramatic frame for the face, its dark brim casting a shadow that Hals exploits for compositional contrast. The young man's flesh is painted with warm, fresh tones that convey health and vitality, while the costume is handled with the rapid, almost sketchy brushwork that defines Hals's early mature manner.