Studies van een handwerkende vrouw onder een boom en koeien 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this sketch titled 'Studies van een handwerkende vrouw onder een boom en koeien' using pen in the Netherlands. Israëls lived through a period of significant social change. He, along with many artists of his time, was interested in representing the lives of the working class. This sketch provides us with multiple views of a woman engaged in handwork, possibly knitting or sewing, set against a backdrop of rural life with grazing cows. It shows the intertwined existence of humans and animals in the Dutch countryside. Consider the social position of women during Israëls’ time. Women in rural communities often had to contribute to the household income through labor-intensive tasks such as handwork. Israëls captures a quiet moment in the woman's life, but also subtly acknowledges her role in the rural economy. The sketch emphasizes the woman's connection to the natural world, a common theme in the Realist movement of that time.