Leende pige, efter Frans Hals 1881

Frans Schwartz created this small etching, “Leende pige, efter Frans Hals,” meaning “Smiling Girl, after Frans Hals,” in Denmark, though the exact date is unknown. Schwartz directly references the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, known for his lively portraits. The “Golden Age” of painting was largely supported by the newly independent Dutch middle class. Portraiture was a status symbol, a way of demonstrating one’s belonging to this new, powerful class. Schwartz was working at a time when art academies across Europe were encouraging the study of “old masters” like Hals. Here, we see Schwartz engaging with that history, mastering the techniques of etching to reproduce an image of the past. The etching could have been a demonstration of technical skill but also a comment on Danish society. Art history provides the tools to understand these social and institutional contexts. By researching the institutions that supported Schwartz, and the artistic traditions he drew upon, we can gain a deeper understanding of this image and its place in history.