The Hals family moved to Haarlem before the fall of Antwerp in 1585. This city welcomed skilled artisans and political refugees with open arms. Partly because of this, Haarlem grew into an economic and artistic center. The family of the Flemish textile worker Franchoys Hals and his wife included two important artists. They were Frans (Antwerp, 1582 - Haarlem 1666) and Dirk (Haarlem 1591 - Haarlem 1656).