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A life-size figure stands before us, holding a skull in one hand and gesticulating with the other. Although he faces us frontally he looks to his left, and it is the gesture of his right hand that focuses us: his fingers seem to project out from the canvas into our space. This is one of Hals’s most captivating paintings, as well as an outstanding example of his bold technique of painting freely and quickly, which sets him apart from most artists of the time. There is no trace of underpainting, and the reddish ground shows through in places. In some areas, paint was applied wet-in-wet, blending some of the colours; others are modelled with very coarse hatching. This painting is not a portrait. The skull is a symbol of mortality, a reminder of the brevity of human life.
Title
Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas)
Date
1626-8
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 92.2 x W 80.8 cm
Accession number
NG6458
Acquisition method
Bought, 1980
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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