A beautiful, fascinating painting depicting one of the figures from Frans Hals’s famous painting *The Banquet of the Officers of the St George’s Militia* The reverse bears the artist’s signature and the inscription: "AN OFFICER OF THE BANQUET OF ST GEORÇES BY FRANS HALS COPY BY J. EDWARDS DS Firenze '62" This is probably the work of James Edwards (1820–1888) a British artist specializing in marine and landscape painting during the mid-to-late 19th century This artwork, never before on the market, comes from an important European private collection and is beautified by a nice frame in gilded wood, in almost perfect condition. Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by un official Expert in Italian furniture for the Chamber of Commerce of Rome and for the Rome Civil Courts. Frans Hals, (1582–1666) a renowned Dutch painter of the Golden Age, known for his Baroque portraits. The portrait in the image is consistent with his style and the period in which he worked. He was one of the most prolific and important painters of his time, considered second only to Rembrandt for his stylistic innovations. He was known for his free and lively brushwork and his ability to capture the vitality and expression of his subjects, ranging from commissioned portraits to studies of facial expressions known as ‘tronies’. The subject’s clothing, particularly the wide ruff (ruffed collar), is typical of 17th-century fashion in the Netherlands. His works are exhibited in major museums around the world, including the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre Frans Hals’s ‘Banquet of the Officers of the St George’s Militia’ (1616), held at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, depicts actual members of the town militia of the time. The work is known for its vivid and spontaneous depiction, which breaks with the stiffness of traditional group portraits. The painting, over 3 metres long, demonstrates Hals’s ability to capture the personality and movement of his subjects. Today, the piece is considered one of the main attractions of the Frans Hals Museum.    This group portrait or schuttersstuk of the St. George (or St. Joris) civic guard of Haarlem serves as the celebration of a banquet for the officers, commemorating their end of service. Hals's group portraiture is well known for its unique and groundbreaking approach to group portraits, using spontaneous and loose brushstrokes, along with expert use of color that create lively visuals and palpable interaction among the officers within the piece.   The painting consists of multiple Haarlem schutterij officers sitting near a long table in the banquet hall of St St. Jorisdoelen (now called the Proveniershuis). Each man wears a sash that represents their company; all three are represented with their flag-bearers wearing the colors orange, white or blue. The figures are varied and have a lot of implied movement. The way the officers bodies are displayed show them having interactions between one another in smaller groups while others look to the side or forward as if something that we are not seeing has their attention. Dimensions are frame included Dimensions without frame cm 30 x 40 There are some defects on the canvas as shown in the photos Professional secure packaging assured Worldwide shipping via DHL or FEDEX For further information, please contact Egidimadeinitaly