C Documentary prints
Engravings after works by Hals can be divided into two main groups: contemporary and later reproductions. The first were purpose-driven, probably initiated by the painter or patron themselves in the majority of cases, and approved by them. These are portraits that commemorate esteemed priests, scholars and artists. In addition, there are amusing and entertaining representations of quirky individuals such as Verdonck and Peeckelhaering, who had aroused public interest, as well as a few moralising genre scenes.
The second group contains works not envisaged by the artist, and consists of mostly much later reproductions of his paintings as examples of special representational quality. Other than Rembrandt (1606-1669), who often captured and distributed his own pictorial creations in engravings, Hals became known to a wider public only through engravings created after his work by other hands. Only a small part of Hals's public before the 19th century consisted of collectors of paintings and prints. The major part was composed of relatives, friends, admirers and followers of the people represented by Hals, as well as enthusiasts of bizarre expressive characters. Their interest was mainly directed towards the representation, while their interest in Hals's artisticity was limited. Admittedly, the engravings only hinted at his virtuoso ability.
The remaining engravings can provide a detailed impression of Hals's creation of artworks that are no longer extant. But in many cases they can also record earlier states of preservation of paintings and qualities no longer visible in the pictures. The innovative general accessibility of engravings through online databases – such as RKD images, Graphikportal, the British Musem’s Collection Online, the Rijksmuseum’s Rijksstudio, and the online collection of the Fiztwiliam Museum – and the increasingly high-resolution of the images allow informative observations and comparisons. Accordingly, the 17th- and 18th-century engravings after works by Hals and his workshop have been included in the present catalogue in full, following the chronological sequence of Hals's models.
Jonas Suyderhoef
Portrait of Willem van der Camer, dated 1651
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv./cat.nr. RP-P-OB-60.711
cat.no. C16
* with contributions by E. Dullaart & A. Iacob