Family Group in a Landscape 1648

Curator: Standing before us is Frans Hals's "Family Group in a Landscape," painted in 1648. It resides here at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. What's your immediate take? Editor: My first impression? Shadowy. Like a storm is brewing, not just in the sky but amongst them too. All that serious dark fabric, stiff lace…I get a sense of unease. Are they truly a family, or posing as one? Curator: Well, group portraits like this served a crucial social function in the Dutch Golden Age. Commissioned mainly by the wealthy, they affirmed status and lineage. The landscape was gaining popularity at this time and families of means would commission themselves enjoying that space. Editor: True, there’s that obligatory landscape in the background. But the family… They're squeezed together at the front, shrouded by what feels like stage-set foliage. Almost like they're hiding something, or waiting for their cue. See the boy, off to the left? He’s gripping a stick and the angle of the shadows implies that there is tension within that branch as he struggles to maintain his grasp. Curator: It is true that Hals was masterful at conveying subtle tensions through his seemingly effortless brushwork. Also, the clothing style is indicative of the importance of mercantilism for that area and period. Look at the high collars. That was typical of merchant guild and served as a mark of high esteem. Editor: It makes you think, what did wealth really mean back then? What did families feel they needed to project? This isn't a snapshot of familial warmth. I keep imagining it as a still from some lost Bergman film – a study in unspoken emotions. Look at the slightly furrowed brow and slight squinting of the eldest daughter... something is there to be investigated Curator: That’s certainly a valid interpretation. Remember that in the Dutch Republic, the concept of domesticity was gaining cultural significance. While portraits aimed for idealized images, hints of personality still peek through. It’s like, yes, we have arrived at this space for which to enjoy the landscape; but no, we would never think to be disheveled in front of each other in nature. Editor: So, beyond the stiff fabrics and implied wealth, what is this "Family Group" really telling us about belonging, or, conversely, about the price of upholding appearances? Now that, I suspect, is the interesting tension simmering beneath the surface. Curator: Absolutely. Perhaps Hals captured a family posing, literally and figuratively, within a society grappling with shifting social roles. I think it's one that asks as many questions about wealth and society as it answers about identity. Editor: Yes, so much posing. A beautiful facade with who knows what churning beneath. Now I have to walk away and think about my own family's public facing identity!