Girl Singing and Boy Playing the Violin by Frans Hals are the latest additions to the Mauritshuis collection. These paintings are important examples of genre painting, in which ordinary people are depicted doing everyday tasks, sometimes with a hidden meaning or moral message. Until now, there were not many genre pieces by Frans Hals in the Netherlands.
The Mauritshuis already owned some portraits and a tronie by Hals, but these musicians allow us to show another side of him. We purchased the works together with the Frans Hals Museum. ‘Brother and sister’ will always remain together and will be displayed alternately in both museums. Until November 5, 2026, you can see them in Room 13 at the Mauritshuis, in a presentation about genre painting.
