Samuel Ampzing (1590-1632) was a poet, a minister and a philosopher. One of his poems mentioned the beautiful way Frans Hals paints the city of Haarlem. During the 1630s, Hals was a leading artist, and he was much sought after as a painter of portraits in Haarlem. He was praised for the way he seemed to casually capture the personality his subjects. In this small portrait, Ampzing looks like he was interrupted while reading, his finger caught between the pages of the book as if to hold the place where he had stopped. Scholars have suggested that the book Ampzing holds contained the poem about Haarlem, with his praise of Hals, which was published in 1628.

 

Hals picks s few details of Ampzing to enhance his appearance and some others he paints with lighter strokes. Ampzing’s face, his white linen ruff and the book he holds in his hands are painted more meticulously than the rest of his upper body. Hals also perfectly captures the intensity of the philosopher’s gaze. This painting was later copied as a print to commemorate Ampzing’s work and his contribution to the city of Haarlem.