Why it matters
The officers of Haarlem's St George militia sit around a banquet table, each one an individual portrait, relaxed in conversation. It was the first of Frans Hals's five large militia group portraits.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1616, when Hals was in his thirties.
- Hals himself was a member of this militia from 1612 to 1615.
- It is one of the main attractions of the Frans Hals Museum.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Banquet of the Officers of the St George Militia Company in 1616 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
