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    Transcriber's Note:

    Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as
    possible. "Scherijver" has been changed to "Schrijver" at each
    occurrence.

    Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.
    OE ligatures have been expanded.




    MASTERPIECES
    IN COLOUR
    EDITED BY--
    T. LEMAN HARE




FRANZ HALS




IN THE SAME SERIES


       ARTIST.               AUTHOR.

    VELAZQUEZ.          S. L. BENSUSAN.
    REYNOLDS.           S. L. BENSUSAN.
    TURNER.             C. LEWIS HIND.
    ROMNEY.             C. LEWIS HIND.
    GREUZE.             ALYS EYRE MACKLIN.
    BOTTICELLI.         HENRY B. BINNS.
    ROSSETTI.           LUCIEN PISSARRO.
    BELLINI.            GEORGE HAY.
    FRA ANGELICO.       JAMES MASON.
    REMBRANDT.          JOSEF ISRAELS.
    LEIGHTON.           A. LYS BALDRY.
    RAPHAEL.            PAUL G. KONODY.
    HOLMAN HUNT.        MARY E. COLERIDGE.
    TITIAN.             S. L. BENSUSAN.
    MILLAIS.            A. LYS BALDRY.
    CARLO DOLCI.        GEORGE HAY.
    GAINSBOROUGH.       MAX ROTHSCHILD.
    TINTORETTO.         S. L. BENSUSAN.
    LUINI.              JAMES MASON.
    FRANZ HALS.         EDGCUMBE STALEY.


_In Preparation_

    VAN DYCK.           PERCY M. TURNER.
    WHISTLER.           T. MARTIN WOOD.
    LEONARDO DA VINCI.  M. W. BROCKWELL.
    RUBENS.             S. L. BENSUSAN.
    BURNE-JONES.        A. LYS BALDRY.
    J. F. MILLET.       PERCY M. TURNER.
    CHARDIN.            PAUL G. KONODY.
    FRAGONARD.          C. HALDANE MACFALL.
    HOLBEIN.            S. L. BENSUSAN.
    BOUCHER.            C. HALDANE MACFALL.
    VIGEE LE BRUN.      C. HALDANE MACFALL.
    WATTEAU.            C. LEWIS HIND.
    MURILLO.            S. L. BENSUSAN.

AND OTHERS.

    [Illustration: PLATE I.--THE LAUGHING CAVALIER. Frontispiece

    (Wallace Collection, London)

    Painted in 1624. Hals called it "Portrait of an Officer," and why,
    and how, it gained its present title, no one knows. On the back of
    the canvas we read--"Aeta Suae 26 Ao. 1624." The "officer" is _not_
    laughing; he is merely showing good conceit of himself in
    particular, and disdain of the world in general! It is a rare study
    in expression, now a scowl, now a leer, alternating as one looks
    upon the handsome young face. Whilst the details of the costume are
    as rich as may be, the colours are few and beautifully blended, a
    _tour de force_ in technical skill. The picture was purchased by its
    original owner, Mijnheer M. Meuwlehuys of Haarlem, for L80; at the
    Pourtales sale, in 1865, Sir Richard Wallace gave L2040 for it.]




                               Franz Hals

                           BY EDGCUMBE STALEY

                         ILLUSTRATED WITH EIGHT
                        REPRODUCTIONS IN COLOUR

                             [Illustration]

                       LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK
                   NEW YORK: FREDERICK A. STOKES CO.




FOREWORD


"Franz Hals was a great painter; for truth of character, indeed, he was
the greatest painter that ever existed.... He _made_ no beauties, his
portraits are of people such as we meet every day in