Baders in zee en een strandkoets 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this watercolour, "Bathers in the Sea and a Beach Carriage," sometime in the 19th century. Israëls was a leading figure in the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists who turned away from the grand historical paintings that had long dominated European art. Instead, they focused on scenes of everyday life, often depicting the working class and rural landscapes of the Netherlands. In this painting, the artist depicts bathers frolicking in the water, while a beach carriage sits to the side. Beach carriages were a common sight along the Dutch coast, offering privacy for bathers. The Hague School artists, like Israëls, wanted to make art that was accessible to everyone and that reflected the realities of Dutch life. They sought to democratize art by choosing subjects that were familiar and relatable to the general public. Understanding such artworks fully requires that we explore the art criticism of the period, as well as economic and demographic studies of the Netherlands. In doing so, we can better understand the context in which it was created, and how it reflects the values and aspirations of its time.