Often one can glide past gallery walls covered in portraits – pausing only to examine a small detail. That is not the case with the current Frans Hals exhibition at the National Gallery (on till 21 January 2024). On the edge of vibrating in their frames, the portraits by the Dutch master seem actually to greet you, stopping you in your tracks.; it is impossible simply to stroll idly past; every pair of eyes draws you closer. But, there is more to this contagious welcome than eyes alone. Hals, an artist who was acutely present to the moods written on the faces of other human beings, is aware that the mouth and the eyes interact with equal passion. He is even aware that the eyes and mouth alone do not register joy, they only mark the beginning of a process that eventually can animate the entire body. The cheeks lift, in all but the most immobile, the nose rises as if to take in a snort of air, the eyes sparkle with captured light as the head tilts. Hals paints delight. He captures joy. He is rare amongst artists.
Then there are his splendid elbowing poses, full of delighted braggadocio, wondrous self-confidence, made only more splendid by gleaming costumes with calligraphic lace, bandoliers of brushstrokes like fenceposts, undulating sculpted leather boots and emblems on sleeves which art historians still cannot decipher. Where did all this enlivening swagger come from? What was so cheering about the times, and the place, in which Frans Hals lived? What essence of life did he capture that four hundred years later, in our current very tough times, we should leave this Hals exhibition with a smile on our lips? These are some of the questions we pose during this short, and we hope, pleasant, course. But we begin by setting Frans Hals in the context of those who preceded him in this cheerful art, and end with a session on those who came after him who were either strongly influenced, or like Hals, preferred to spend time in merry company. Please join us!
Booking Information:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This online course via Zoom has been developed by Louise Friend and Nicholas Friend. It will be presented by Nicholas Friend, Co-Founder of Inscape. It is held on Wednesdays beginning on Wednesday 13 December 2023 at 5 pm and ending on Wednesday 24 January 2024 at 5 pm. Please note the time of 5 pm: Nicholas will be lecturing from California (at 9 am his time) for the duration of this course.
You may choose to attend individual sessions or all six. If you book for the course but cannot manage a particular date, then be assured we will be sending recordings of sessions to all participants. Each session meets from 15 minutes before the advertised time of the lecture, and each lasts roughly one hour with 15 minutes discussion.
Cost: £270 members or £330 non-members for the course of 6 sessions or £45 members or £55 non-members per individual session. All sessions are limited to 21 participants to permit an after-lecture discussion session.
Due to the coronavirus cheques are not a viable option at this time. Instead, please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719397. She is available Tuesdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm or Thursdays 10-12 and 2-5 pm. Do get in touch if you would like extra support learning how to use Zoom.
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How to Connect your Bank Account to your PayPal account:::::::::::::::::::::::
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How to Send Money::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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