Kunstenaar zittend achter een ezel in een landschap 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this drawing of an artist sitting behind an easel in a landscape. Israëls was a leading figure of the Hague School, a group of Dutch realist painters who sought to capture the everyday lives of ordinary people, often in rural settings. This drawing perhaps reflects the Hague School artists' desire to connect with the land and the common folk, moving away from the more formal and academic art traditions. The figure under the umbrella has a clear purpose: to sit within nature and replicate its beauty. Israëls himself was deeply affected by the hardships he witnessed in Jewish communities. He aimed to depict the dignity and resilience of these people in the face of adversity. This drawing, though simple, provides a glimpse into the artistic process and perhaps Israëls' personal connection to the landscape. It emphasizes the emotional and personal dimensions of artmaking, reflecting the societal values of empathy, authenticity, and a return to nature that were emerging in the late 19th century.