Dirk
Huls

The Dutch painter. Along with W. Daystrom and P. Codd, one of the early representatives of the Dutch realist genre painting of the XVII century, the Younger brother and pupil of the famous Frans Hals. A favorite subject of paintings – the society of elegant revelers officers and ladies in the interior or in a landscape. His bright colours of the painting a few rough full of optimism and joie de vivre, characteristic of the worldview of the Dutch bourgeoisie in the first decades of the XVII century, the Best works belong to 1620-1630.

Dirk Hals was the son of the Flemish clothiers Franchoijs Khalsa (originally from Mechelen, or Raspberry) and Adriaentgen van Hentenryck. Parents Dirk and his older brothers, also painters, France and Jost emigrated from Antwerp to Haarlem between 1585 and 1591., fleeing from religious persecution by the Spanish authorities.

Assume that the first lessons of painting Dirk had received from France. Certain common features are present in the works of both, but the main influence on the style of Dirk had the art of Willem Buytewech and Esaias van de Velde. It is possible that a teacher Dirk was Abraham Bloemaert.

Like his older brother, Dirk, was in the city militia of St. George (1618-1624). and, again like France, in Haarlem "Rhetorical society" (1618-1624 in 1640.).

In the early 1620s (perhaps earlier) Dirk married Agnita Jans, who bore him seven children. The eldest of them, Antonius, born in 1621, became, like his father, a genre painter and portraitist.

Before becoming a master, Dirk probably was assisted by other artists. This is confirmed by the record of a court case: his friend, the engraver Jan van de Velde, testified that a colleague Khalsa has not paid the past due amount.

Since 1627 the artist – a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke, where was the rest of his days. During this period, his art has received some recognition.

From the late 1620s until 1634 Dirk worked in collaboration with a painter of architecture Dirk van Delena, the composition of which was inscribed figures; also noted a similar cooperation Hals with colleague Wang Divided by Bartolomeus van Pool.

At that time a lucrative additional income for artists was trading in works of art. In 1634 (in cooperation with the engraver Cornelis van Kittencannon) and 1635 (together with the master of still lifes Franchois Elout) . Dirk has organized two auctions, at which, besides his own works and paintings of the elder brother, exhibited the paintings of Salomon van rasdale, Jan van Goyen and Judith Leister. In addition, the artist liaised with the Amsterdam merchant of paintings and painter Peter Jans van den Bosch, revenue from auctions, which he arranged.

In 1641-1643 in 1648-1649 gg (and most likely in the period between these dates) Hulse lived in Leiden. At this time, the unpleasant events related to the confiscation of the property of the artist for non-payment of rent. Apparently, Dirk often faced with financial difficulties. With the exception of Leiden pores Hulse lived and died in his native Haarlem.

Dutch genre painting in the works of such artists as Anthony Palamedes-Steward, Jacob Duke, Peter Codd, Peter Potter, Pieter Jansz Kwast and others, went in the direction, in which she was sent Dirk Hals. Of the disciples of Hals was especially famous Judith lijster, it is possible that Jan Steen was also his disciple.