Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1924

Isaac Israels wrote this letter to Jan Veth in The Hague on February 5, 1924. It reveals the social networks that sustained the art world of the Netherlands in the early 20th century. Israels' informal, handwritten note suggests the importance of personal connections between artists, critics, and scholars. Veth was an artist, critic, poet and professor of art history who worked to raise the status of the arts in Dutch society. Israels seems to be asking Veth for information relating to a previous publication. The Rijksmuseum, as an institution, preserves these kinds of exchanges and invites us to reflect on the artistic process and the development of Israels' work. To further understand this work, we might investigate the archives of Dutch art institutions and the correspondence of artists and critics from this period. Examining these resources helps us to understand the social conditions that shape artistic production.