Frans Hals: The Complete Work

Nimble brushstrokes, concise psychological characterizations and the ease of his compositions have earned the Haarlem master a reputation as a forerunner of the impressionists. Grimm, a scholar who has spent 25 years studying Hals's work, is even more specific. His interpretations supported by 471 plates, one-third in color, he calls Hals a direct precursor of Manet in his ability to create compositions of simple, striking silhouettes of figures. He also claims that Hals anticipated Cezanne in his relaxed, individualistic touches and his dissection of faces into mosaics. Explaining the artist's enduring appeal, Grimm notes that his portraits present ``eye-catching impressions . . . organized according to their psychological and perceptual values.'' The author's careful analysis buttresses his claim that there are only 145 surviving paintings by Hals; Grimm repudiates nearly 80 pictures previously held to be authentic. (Nov.)