‘Because you simply cannot argue about art with a chemist’: Scientific Research on Frans Hals's Paintings in the Netherlands during the 1920s

This article focuses on three early examples of scientific examination of paintings in the Netherlands in the 1920s using work by Frans Hals. The reason for such research differed in each instance. The first case involved the restoration of Hals's group portraits in Haarlem. The second example related to whether a newly surfaced painting was by Frans Hals or was a forgery. Finally, scientific examination of a heavily overpainted painting in Edinburgh revealed a work by Frans Hals previously believed to have been lost.