Man with a jug

This Dutch 17th century painting was formerly thought to be by prominent Haarlem School painter Frans Hals. Haarlem was a leading centre of the Dutch Golden Age and an influx of artists to the city in the early 17th century led to the development of a new, more realistic style of painting. Hals was one of the most influential artists of the period and although the attribution to Hals of 'Man with a Jug' is no longer widely accepted, the painting can likely be ascribed to one of the many Haarlem School artist who were influenced by his work. Hals painted a number of these lively genre figures, which in turn show that Hals himself was influenced by the Utrecht School Carravaggisti.