Head of a boy in a beret

A boy in a beret, dated 1640, captures youthful vivacity with the rapid, spontaneous brushwork that Hals brought to his genre paintings and informal portraits. The beret gives the boy a slightly rakish air, suggesting a studio prop or fancy dress rather than everyday clothing. Hals's revolutionary loose brushwork, capturing the immediacy of fleeting expression with a boldness that seemed impossibly spontaneous to his contemporaries, was rediscovered by the Realists and Impressionists in the nineteenth century as an anticipation of their own aims.

Hals paints the boy's face with warm, fresh strokes that convey the energy of youth. The beret provides a dark frame for the illuminated face, its soft fabric rendered with a few broad touches that contrast with the more detailed handling of the features.