Drie meisjes met hoeden 1875 - 1934

Editor: This drawing, "Drie meisjes met hoeden," or "Three Girls with Hats," is by Isaac Israels and was made sometime between 1875 and 1934. It's currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a quick pencil sketch, capturing a fleeting moment. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: This sketch offers us a fascinating glimpse into the artist's process. The seemingly casual nature of the drawing is deceptive. How do you think the evolving role of women at the time might have influenced Israels' choice to depict these girls, and the way he depicted them? Editor: Hmm, good question. I guess their fashionable hats and outfits suggest a certain social class, maybe indicating increased opportunities or freedoms that women had, or at least were striving for? Curator: Exactly! This was a period of great social change. The rise of department stores, for example, made fashion more accessible. Do you notice how Israels focuses on capturing the girls’ fashionable appearances, arguably reflecting how women were beginning to define themselves, or be defined, through fashion? This work functions as both art and document. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, like a quick impressionistic study of social trends. It's less about portraiture and more about observing the emerging roles of women in society. Curator: Precisely. Also, consider how showing only quick pencil strokes – a study rather than a finished portrait - shifts art away from formally posed images. The artistic intention behind an incomplete sketch offers another way to explore shifting social identities. It acknowledges the changing expectations for women and how representation was also being redefined. Editor: I never really considered that a sketch could also function on a social or political level; that is, in more than just an aesthetic way. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Reflecting on how art both mirrors and influences society always offers insightful interpretations.