The Frans Hals Research Network announces the appointment of its second Research Fellow. As of March 2026, Marleen Puyenbroek has joined the Frans Hals Museum’s research initiative.
Judith Leyster and Jan Miense Molenaer
In recent years, Puyenbroek has worked at the University of Amsterdam on a PhD project on the role of women in the seventeenth-century art market, as part of The Female Impact, a project led by Judith Noorman. Her research focuses on the various roles women played in that market, ranging from artists and art dealers to participants in the paint trade and the second-hand market. During her fellowship, Puyenbroek is researching the artist Judith Leyster in relation to her social, artistic, and economic context, with particular attention to her collaboration with her husband and fellow artist Jan Miense Molenaer. In addition, she is contributing to the organization of a symposium on Leyster in context. Anyone interested in exchanging ideas or sharing relevant information in relation to this research is warmly invited to get in touch via m.puyenbroek@
Frans Hals Research Network (FHRN)
The Frans Hals Museum established the Frans Hals Research Network (FHRN) to investigate the many questions surrounding the artist’s life, his working methods, and his workshop. Under the FHRN banner, the Frans Hals Museum initiates, stimulates, consolidates, and presents research into Frans Hals, his era, and his environment.
The FHRN’s objective is to expand knowledge of Frans Hals by fostering and entering into collaborations. This can take various forms, such as research fellowships, contributions to publications, conferences, restorations, and exhibitions. The first research fellow to work within the FHRN was Dr. Aagje Lybeer; in 2024–2025, she conducted research into body language in the works of Haarlem artists surrounding Frans Hals.