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Johannes Cornelisz.
Verspronck, Andries Stilte as a Standard Bearer, 1640,
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Patrons’ Permanent Fund
1998.13.1
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Frans Hals,
Portrait of a Member of the Haarlem Civic Guard, c. 1636/1638,
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Andrew W. Mellon Collection 1937.1.68
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Technique
Johannes Verspronck was Haarlem’s second leading portrait painter, after
Frans Hals. What would lead a patron to choose between the two? They both
used the period’s standard portrait conventions—typically a three-quarter-length
figure standing or sitting before an indeterminate background. Verspronck’s
portraits are sober, dignified, and remote, whereas Hals’ are dashing,
lively, and intimate. This opposite effect is due to the different ways
they painted. A comparison of Verspronck’s Andries Stilte as a Standard
Bearer and Hals’ Portrait of a Member of Haarlem’s Civic
Guard reveals their different techniques.
Verspronck painted in the smooth manner for which the Dutch became famous.
Hals was an innovator, the first Dutch artist to emphasize individual brushstrokes
to create a dynamic surface and bring movement to the static figure.
 
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