Standing Female Nude 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing of a female nude, now at the Rijksmuseum, at some point in his career. This sketch offers a window into the artist’s engagement with the female form and the artistic conventions of his time. Israels was part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement in the Netherlands. This movement took inspiration from French Impressionism, but the ways in which it was influenced reveals important facts about the cultural institutions of the time. While French Impressionism developed in opposition to the French academy, Amsterdam Impressionism was fostered by the Dutch academy. The female nude as a subject was a key part of this tradition. Understanding Israels' drawing requires us to reflect on what was considered acceptable and what was considered transgressive, for both artist and model, in late 19th and early 20th century European culture. Careful research into the archives of art institutions, as well as personal papers, could bring us closer to a richer understanding of works like this one.