Dirck Hals

Hals was born into an artistic family and most likely trained with Frans, one of his older brothers. In 1627, Hals became a member of the Haarlem Guild of St Luke. His paintings feature wealthy people enjoying themselves indoors or outdoors. The symbols within these paintings appear to be commenting on these festive scenes. Until 1634, Hals often collaborated with the architectural painter Dirck van Delen. First, Van Delen painted the interior, and then Hals added the human figures. The resulting collaborative paintings are impressive, showing gatherings of elegant people in richly decorated architectural spaces.