Children of the Sea 1872

charcoal drawing

possibly oil pastel

oil painting

neo expressionist

acrylic on canvas

underpainting

pastel chalk drawing

painting painterly

charcoal

watercolor

"Children of the Sea" (1872), by Dutch painter Jozef Israëls, captures a poignant moment of childhood innocence set against a backdrop of the vast sea. Painted in a realist style, the artwork depicts four children on a sandy beach, their figures silhouetted against the expansive sky and shimmering water. The young girl on the left, dressed in a simple white dress and cap, stands alone, her posture conveying a sense of quiet contemplation, while the others interact and play. This piece, now housed at the Rijksmuseum, showcases Israëls' skill in capturing the nuances of everyday life and the enduring power of childhood.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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This charming scene contains a message. The children of a fisherman, with their tattered rags and paltry toys, offer us a glimpse of their future. The eldest boy carries the weight of the family on his shoulders, and the little boat stands for the rigours of life at sea. Jozef Israëls first painted this subject in 1863. It became enormously popular and the artist subsequently repeated it often.