This is a romance book. The portrait measures 83 × 67. 3 cm (32. 7 × 26. 5 in) and is inscribed at top right, which expands to 'aetatis suae 26, anno 1624' in Latin and means that the portrait was painted when the sitter was 26 and in the year 1624. The identity of the man was unknown for centuries, and though the recorded 19th century titles in Dutch, English and French mostly suggest a military man, or at least an officer in one of the part-time militia companies that were often the subjects of group portraits, including some by Hals and later Rembrandt's Night Watch (1642), in fact he was as likely to be a wealthy civilian and Pieter Biesboer has identified him as Tieleman Roosterman. The composition is lively and spontaneous, and despite the apparent labour involved in the gorgeous, and very expensive, silk costume, close inspection reveals long, quick brush strokes. The turning pose and low viewpoint are found in other portraits by Hals and here allow emphasis on the embroidered sleeve and lace cuff. There are many emblems in the embroidery: signifying 'the pleasures and pains of love' are 'bees, arrows, flaming cornucopiae, lovers' knots and tongues of fire', while an obelisk or pyramid signifies strength and Mercury's cap and caduceus fortune. In general, commissioned portraits such as this rarely showed adults smiling until the late 18th century, though smiling is often seen in tronies and figures in genre painting. But Hals is an exception to the general rule and often showed sitters with broader smiles than here, and in informal poses that bring an impression of movement and spontaneity to his work.
