De schilder Jozef Israëls in zijn atelier, Koninginnegracht 2, Den Haag Possibly 1903 - 1912

This photograph, taken by Sigmund Löw, captures the painter Jozef Israëls in his studio on Koninginnegracht in The Hague. Löw employs photography, itself a relatively new medium at the time, to document a painter amidst the tools and products of his trade. Note the material contrasts: the painter’s dark, formal suit against the canvases and easels. The paintings, framed and unframed, lean against the walls, suggesting a fluid, perhaps even restless process. The artist sits calmly amidst his craft, the image evidencing the labor-intensive practice of painting. Photography, especially in its early days, demanded a different kind of labor, a stillness and patience from the subject, and a technical expertise from the photographer to capture a fleeting moment. This image, therefore, is not just a portrait, but a study in the materials and processes of artistic production at the turn of the century. It encourages us to consider how artists engage with labor and class, and how these issues appear in their work.