A Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who lived and worked in Haarlem. He is noted for his loose painterly brushwork, and he helped introduce this lively style of painting into Dutch art. He is best known for his portraits, mainly of wealthy citizens but also some 'character' works, and he also played an important role in the evolution of 17th-century group portraiture.

Born in Antwerp in the then Spanish Netherlands, his family fled during the Fall of Antwerp to Haarlem, where he lived and painted for the rest of his life. Contemporaries such as Rembrandt moved their households according to the caprices of their patrons, but Hals remained in Haarlem and insisted that his customers come to him. His work was in demand throughout his life, but he lived so long that he eventually went out of style as a painter and experienced financial difficulties. In addition to his painting, he continued to work as a restorer, art dealer and art tax expert for the city councillors.

His paintings exhibit an intimate realism with a radically free approach. Later in his life, his brush strokes became looser, fine detail becoming less important than the overall impression. His earlier pieces radiated gaiety and liveliness, while his later portraits emphasised the stature and dignity of the people portrayed. Unusually for the time, he utilised a technique with visible brushstrokes.