The Laughing Cavalier

Written and performed by Reynold D. Philipsek
Copyright 2011 Zino-Rephi Music (BMI)
All Rights Reserved

When I was a kid, my parents had a small oval miniature of a Frans Hals (17th Century painter) painting called, “The Laughing Cavalier.”

I think (not sure) that this small replica artifact came from my great grandmother who was born in Holland (most of my ancestors are from Eastern Europe but this is the exception).

This little print of the painting had a haunting effect on me. It hung near my bed.

Years later, I visited the Frans Hals collection in Amsterdam. My brief career as a painter (I went to school for oil painting for two years) was inspired by my interest in Dutch painters like Hals, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and especially Vermeer.

At any rate, in 2011 I wrote and recorded this short solo guitar piece.

Link: https://youtu.be/z2nkQLr-Ki8