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In the final years austere and even tragic moods are not uncommon in Hals's portraits. The pictures become darker, the blacks richer and more predominant. Dark greys and deep golden olive-greens are now substituted more consistently for the light silver-greys and yellow ochres of the earlier works. The artist relies more and more for pictorial effects upon contrasting warm and cool tones which are close in value.
It is assumed that the sitter of this late portrait is the preacher Ruyli.
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