Portret van een baby met muts 1863 - 1883

Jozef Israëls made this portrait of a baby with a bonnet using graphite on paper. It's a humble medium, one we might associate more with sketching and studies than with finished works of art. Look closely, and you'll see how Israëls coaxes a wide range of tones and textures from this simple material. He uses delicate lines to capture the softness of the baby's skin and the folds of the bonnet, while darker, more emphatic strokes define the features. There’s an immediacy to the drawing, as if it were dashed off in a moment. But this belies the skill required to achieve such a sensitive likeness. Israëls was known for his sympathetic depictions of everyday life, particularly the lives of working-class people. In a way, the modesty of the medium underscores this theme, bringing a dignity to the subject without any grandstanding. It reminds us that even the simplest of materials, in the right hands, can be used to create something truly beautiful and moving.