After Rembrandt and Vermeer, Dutch master Frans Hals gets a major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Frans Hals is the latest 17th century Dutch master to feature in a major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A show opening on Wednesday highlights Hals’ loose brush strokes that made him a forerunner of the impressionist movement. And it shows many of his subjects smiling, which is unusual in 17th century art. The Hals show follows recent blockbuster exhibitions at the Amsterdam museum showcasing the two other great names of 17th century Dutch art — Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.