Liggend dier, mogelijk een leeuw 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls made this sketch, possibly of a lion, with pencil on paper. Israëls was a leading figure in the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists active in the second half of the 19th century. The Hague School artists were interested in capturing the everyday life of the working class and the rural poor. Israëls was known for his sentimental paintings of fishermen and peasants. He sought to depict the lives of ordinary people in a sympathetic and realistic way, and his paintings often convey a sense of melancholy and hardship. This is visible in the rough lines and the lack of detail, making it seem as if the animal is worn out. To understand Israëls' art fully, you'd want to examine the social and economic conditions in the Netherlands during the 19th century. By studying the work of art historians and social historians, we can learn more about the meaning and significance of Israëls' art.