Johannes Verspronck

He was possibly also a pupil of Frans Hals, who lived in the same city – Verspronck’s style is, however, calmer and more austere than that of his fellow townsman. Although he did paint some still lifes and genre scenes, he was a portrait painter at heart. Verspronck clearly had a sensitive eye for his sitters, as he often captured them in a somewhat subdued tone. While his painterly style may have been calm, Verspronck worked with energy and speed. From 1640 to 1643 he painted two large group portraits and no fewer than 20 individual portraits. In total there are around 100 known paintings by the artist.