▁the ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁men ' s ▁meeting ▁room . ▁ ▁The ▁standing ▁figure ▁second ▁from ▁the ▁right ▁is ▁holding ▁out ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁paper . ▁He ▁is ▁older ▁and ▁we aring ▁a ▁col lar ▁that ▁was ▁long ▁out ▁of ▁fashion ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 6 6 0 s . ▁He ▁is ▁probably ▁a ▁val ued ▁servant ▁or ▁con cier ge , ▁but ▁his ▁name ▁has ▁been ▁lost . ▁Se ated ▁next ▁to ▁him ▁is ▁a ▁man ▁we aring ▁a ▁flo ppy ▁hat ▁per ched ▁at ▁an ▁angle . ▁His ▁face ▁appears ▁dist orted ▁and ▁some ▁critics ▁felt ▁that ▁H als ▁had ▁lost ▁his ▁touch , ▁while ▁others ▁believed ▁the ▁man ▁had ▁been ▁dr unk ▁or ▁suffered ▁from ▁n erve ▁damage ▁in ▁the ▁right ▁half ▁of ▁his ▁face , ▁perhaps ▁from ▁a ▁stroke . ▁Wh atever ▁the ▁case , ▁the ▁reg ents ▁never ▁compla ined ▁about ▁the ▁painting ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁satisfied ▁with ▁the ▁commission ▁they ▁gave ▁to ▁the ▁elder ly ▁H als . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁when ▁H als ' ▁loose ▁br ush work ▁became ▁popular ▁with ▁impression ists , ▁several ▁copies ▁were ▁made ▁of ▁this ▁painting . ▁A ▁much ▁earlier ▁copy ▁that ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁shows ▁how ▁layers ▁of ▁var n ish ▁almost ▁made ▁the ▁table ▁disappear ▁altogether ▁over ▁time . ▁ ▁Today ▁the ▁painting ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highlight s ▁of ▁the ▁Fr ans ▁H als ▁Museum , ▁which ▁is ▁hous ed ▁in ▁the