Image: public domain, courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Merry Drinker

Frans Hals, c. 1628–30

A cheerful man in a yellow coat raises his glass, as if he is about to make a toast to us. Frans Hals painted him quickly, with loose criss-cross brushstrokes, so the whole picture seems full of movement.

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Did you know?

His yellow sleeveless coat is a buff coat, worn by soldiers, so he may be a member of the civic guard.
Look for the medal on a chain around his neck; guardsmen received such medals for special service.
Some think the tiny portrait on the medal shows Prince Maurits, but the paint is too sketchy to be sure.
Look at his raised right hand: it is open, as if he is greeting us or about to speak.
Find Hals's monogram, the letters FH, painted at the centre right.
The museum bought it in 1816 at an auction at Warmond Castle, near Leiden, for 325 guilders.

About the artist

Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) was born in Antwerp and spent his whole career in Haarlem, in the Dutch Republic.

He is famous for lively portraits painted with quick, bold brushstrokes, such as The Laughing Cavalier and his large group portraits of Haarlem's civic guards.

His sitters often smile, laugh or raise a glass, which was rare in portraits of his time, as if the painter had just told them a good joke.

Frans Hals ›

Where it is today: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · Museum page