Briefkaart aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1886

This is a postcard sent to Frans Buffa en Zonen in November 1886 by Jozef Israëls, a prominent figure in the Hague School. This movement, rising in the late 19th century, sought to represent Dutch daily life with a sober, realistic eye. Israëls, of Jewish heritage, often depicted the lives of the poor and working class, a reflection of his social consciousness and personal identity. As he once stated, "Art must be national, must spring from the soil." The choice of sending a briefkaart, a more utilitarian form of communication, over a traditional letter, speaks volumes. It conveys a sense of urgency or perhaps a commentary on the changing social dynamics of the time. Consider the stark contrast between the sender and receiver; Israëls a champion of the underprivileged, and Buffa, an art dealer, indicative of the art world's power structure. This postcard becomes a subtle narrative on the artist’s position in society, caught between creative expression and commercial viability.