Fanciullo che ride

A boy grins straight out at you, hair a mess, eyes bright, the paint around his mouth laid on in a few quick strokes. This is not a portrait of anyone in particular. Around 1625 Frans Hals painted it as a tronie, a study of a type or an expression made for the open market rather than a commission. Laughter was a bold thing to attempt. It is one of the hardest expressions to hold and to paint, which is why so many old portraits keep their mouths closed, and Hals chased it again and again. He worked here at speed, with loose, visible brushwork that looks almost careless up close and snaps into a living face when you step back. The little round panel is small enough to hold in two hands.