Staande jongen, van achteren 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls made this sketch, "Standing Boy, from Behind", with graphite on paper. The composition centres on the figure of the boy, presenting his back to us in a posture of quiet contemplation. Look at how the artist uses line to define form and space. The sketchy quality adds an immediacy and an informal, intimate feel to the work. Israëls was known for his paintings of Dutch peasant life. In line with structuralist ideas, we might see the boy as a signifier of childhood. The averted gaze and the turned back removes the possibility of direct engagement; this allows us to contemplate the condition of childhood, and also perhaps the universal human experience. Note the texture of the paper, visible through the graphite markings. This texture invites a consideration of the material qualities, reinforcing the sense of the artist's hand in the making. As viewers, we are constantly re-interpreting such subtle but important elements.