RT Journal
A1 Harris JC
T1 JEster with a lute
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 2011
FD April 4
VO 68
IS 4
SP 338
OP 338
DO 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.20
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.20
AB 
For April, a month when we celebrate mischief-making, we turn to Frans Hals (1580-1666). Hals' Jester With a Lute, completed in 1624-1625, depicts a jester with a merry and mischievous grin playing a melody (cover). The viewer's eyes are drawn up toward the larger-than-life-sized musician, whose body, slightly turned, elicits a sense of animated movement. The contrast of the earthy neutral background and his colorful dress make him vibrant. His fingers are precisely positioned on the lute's strings; his face expresses smug satisfaction. Is his smile a response to his attentive audience or an inner reflection on a clever jest he is about to impart? Thus, Hals evokes the viewer's curiosity as he frames the jester's joyful presence.1Grahic Jump Location