Saint John the Evangelist

Saint John the Evangelist, identified by the eagle at his side, looks up for divine inspiration, which arrives as a brilliant light, poised to write the words of God. Frans Hals built the lifelike, fleeting quality that made his portraits so prized purely from light and the handling of paint, choosing a dramatic moment and capturing it with bold, spontaneous brushwork; a contemporary reported that he called his final touches of highlight “putting in his handwriting”. The canvas was treasured by the painter Gerard Hoet and later by Catherine the Great of Russia. The painting is held in the J. Paul Getty Museum.