Comparing two pieces from the Met

Frans Hals

Dutch, Antwerp 1582/83-1666 Haarlem

Portrait of a Man, possibly Nicolaes Pietersz Duyst van Voorhout

Oil on Canvas

Painted around 1636-38

Rembrandt

Dutch, Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam

Hendrickje Stoffels

Oil on Canvas

Painted at different intervals in the years 1655-60

Both of these pieces are Dutch in origin, and come from around the same time period, give or take 20 years. However, they both are extremely different in nature. The lighting, lines, and feeling emanating from both of these pantings differ extremely.

In the painting of Hendrickje Stoffels, you are looking at her, but she is not looking back. There is great use of psychic line and implied line here. The contour of her face and shoulders is very gentle and almost sweet. 

The painting by Frans Hals, however, is almost abrupt in nature compared to Rembrandt's. There is use of line as texture and pattern in his garments. This piece also is composed almost entirely of explicit lines. He is staring at you in an almost jovial fashion, which makes you feel a little bit happy, but a little uncomfortable as well.