Frans Hals Museum

In the 17th century, citizens wanted to capture their wealth and status on canvas. Portraits became popular and Frans Hals became known as the best portrait painter in the country. The Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem has many artworks of masters from the 16th and 17th century and is home to the world’s biggest Frans Hals collection.

Admire the world’s biggest collection of works by Frans Hals at the Frans Hals Museum.
See his famous civic guard paintings.
The Frans Hals Museum also displays art by other masters from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Address:: Groot Heiligland 62
2011ES Haarlem
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The Masterpieces of Frans Hals

Frans Hals is especially known for his ‘schutterstukken’. These are group portraits of the ruling civil guards of that time. To be appointed to make their portrait was considered a great honor and was a very considerable task. Frans Hals was commissioned to create such an important work up to five times.

What made Frans Hals great was that he dared to be different. His paintings have a vivid likeness, typical setting and seem to be in motion. He knew how to capture a moment in time and bring it to life on canvas. Every time you look at one of Frans Hals’ group portraits, it feels like you’ve just disturbed a moment between friends.

Monet, Corbet and You

Frans Hals’ work was of great influence in the 19th century. Great masters of impressionism, like Monet, Corbet and Manet, visited the Frans Hals Museum to admire his art. Now it’s your turn to behold the masterpieces of Frans Hals and many of his contemporaries.

Museum in bloom

Each spring, the Frans Hals Museum comes to life in full flowery bloom. Volunteers decorate the halls and corridors with fresh flower bouquets and other floral art. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowers are exhibited in various vases from the museum's collection.

A single museum in two locations

The Frans Hals Museum and De Hallen merged on 30 March 2018 and adopted a single name. In this way, the museum wants to demonstrate that art history tells a continuous story. Today's art becomes meaningful only in relation to the art that went before it and combining art from different periods yields new stories and a rich viewing experience. Exhibitions will be held in both locations, where old and new art meet and enter into tantalizing relationships.

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