Home / Artworks / Portrait of Tieleman Roosterman
Portrait of Tieleman Roosterman
Frans Hals, 1634
Tieleman Roosterman was a very wealthy linen and silk merchant in Haarlem. He was 36 when Frans Hals painted him in 1634. The Cleveland Museum of Art notes that, unlike many Dutch painters of the period, Hals liked strong, visible brushstrokes, and they give his sitters a sense of life.
Roosterman stands confidently in a sober but luxurious costume. His sleeves are decorated with braid and buttons, and ribbon rosettes circle the waist of his doublet. The black of the suit contrasts with the wide linen collar and the lace-edged cuffs, which suit a man who made his living from cloth.
The painting is about 117 by 87 centimetres without its frame. Look at the lace and the collar, where Hals uses quick strokes in place of careful detail.
From the museum record
| Artist | Frans Hals |
|---|---|
| Date | 1634 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | Unframed: 117 x 87 cm |
| Museum | The Cleveland Museum of Art |
| Credit line | Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund |
| Accession number | 1999.173 |
| Licence | Open Access (CC0) |
Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art collection record. Facts such as dates, sizes and credit lines come from that record. The write-up above was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the museum record and standard references. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
