Themes
Always something new to see
At the Frans Hals Museum, the artworks in the permanent collection are not arranged chronologically, but by theme. In one room, you will find portraits, still lifes and other paintings from the 17th century to the present day. They change regularly, so there is always something new to see. Are you curious about the themes you will encounter in the museum at the moment? You can find them below.
Portraits
The Frans Hals Museum's collection excels in portraits. Frans Hals was a true portrait painter, but other Haarlem artists also painted many portraits. The portrait is also popular among modern and contemporary artists. In this room, you will find works by Else Berg, Judith Leyster, Dana Lixenberg and others.
The body
The human body has been a popular subject for artists for centuries. They study human anatomy and translate it into a sculpture, painting or other form. Of course, this does not mean that the bodies artists present to us are literal representations: contemporary artists use the body to address social issues such as identity and representation. In this room, you will find works by Hendrick Goltzius and Yamuna Forzani, Juliana Huxtable.
Still lifes
In still lifes, artists try to depict materials as realistically as possible, such as shiny silver, fine linen, rough lemons or soft petals with hairy flies on them. In the 17th century, wealthy citizens liked to have a still life on their walls with precious objects and ingredients that came from far away. Trade in these items was often associated with violence and slavery. In this room, you will find works by Willem Heda, Pieter Claesz, Floris van Schooten and others.
Search for identity
Women in portraits were often known as ‘the wife or sister of’. Nowadays, the identities of all the subjects in this room are known. They have thus regained their identity. This room contains works by artists such as Charley Toorop, Jan Toorop, Thérèse Schwartze and Coba Ritsema.
Family
In this room, you will find all kinds of families together: a birthday party, two women in a bedroom, a 17th-century couple who genuinely love each other. Blood ties are not always the most important thing: it is mainly about connection. In this room, you will find works of art by Ferdinand Erfmann, Wybrand Hendriks, PINK de Thierry, Lorian Gwynn and others.
