"Frans Hals" is a single by
McCarthy released in March 1987; their last on Pink Label. The b-sides were "The Fall (remix)" and "Kill Kill Kill Kill" and "Frans Hals (version)".
The single is not on any of the group's three studio albums. It can be found on the releases ''A La Guillotine'' and ''
That's All Very Well But...''.
Dutch Golden Age
The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
painter
Frans Hals
Frans Hals the Elder (, ; ; – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He lived and worked in Haarlem, a city in which the local authority of the day frowned on religious painting in places of worship but citizens liked to decorate thei ...
was the subject of the song and the lyrics were inspired by
John Berger
John Peter Berger ( ; 5 November 1926 – 2 January 2017) was an English art critic, novelist, painter and poet. His novel '' G.'' won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism '' Ways of Seeing'', written as an accompaniment to t ...
's comments on Hals in his 1972 book, ''
Ways of Seeing
Way or WAY may refer to:
Paths
* a road, route, trail, path or pathway, including long-distance paths
* a straight rail or track on a machine tool (such as that on the bed of a lathe) on which part of the machine slides
* Ways, large slipway ...
''.
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Songs about painters
Cultural depictions of Dutch people
1987 singles
McCarthy (band) songs
Songs written by Malcolm Eden
1987 songs