Frans Hals’s internationally famous and enigmatic painting of The Laughing Cavalier is one of the Wallace Collection’s greatest treasures. The painting’s immediacy and remarkable vivacity are the hallmarks of Hals’s extraordinary work, qualities which led him to become a leading painter of his generation.

As the painting embarks on its exceptional, first-ever loan to exhibitions in London and Amsterdam, we’ll look in depth at The Laughing Cavalier alongside a wide selection of Hals’s works, and the times in which he lived. Focusing on his long career in the Dutch Republic, we’ll discuss his innovative depictions of men, women and children, his use of extraordinary brushwork, expressive colour, and dramatic light effects. We’ll also learn why he inspired 19th century avant-garde painters, including Manet and Van Gogh.

Read the full course description here.

Joining Information and Format: This course will be taught through Zoom Webinar. Each course session duration is 120 minutes, including a five-minute break and Q&A session with the tutor. Tickets are for all dates of this course. Ticketholders will be emailed the Zoom link, Webinar ID and Passcode 24 hours in advance of the first course session, which should be retained for accessing all three sessions.   

Course Recording: This course will be recorded. Within 48 hours of each course session, ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the recording, which will be available for two weeks.