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Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas)

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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A life-size figure stands before us, holding a skull in one hand and gesticulating with the other. Although he faces us frontally he looks to his left, and it is the gesture of his right hand that focuses us: his fingers seem to project out from the canvas into our space. This is one of Hals’s most captivating paintings, as well as an outstanding example of his bold technique of painting freely and quickly, which sets him apart from most artists of the time. There is no trace of underpainting, and the reddish ground shows through in places. In some areas, paint was applied wet-in-wet, blending some of the colours; others are modelled with very coarse hatching. This painting is not a portrait. The skull is a symbol of mortality, a reminder of the brevity of human life.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas)

Date

1626-8

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 92.2 x W 80.8 cm

Accession number

NG6458

Acquisition method

Bought, 1980

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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