Landschap met een gespleten boom c. 1869

Curator: This is Jozef Israëls's "Landschap met een gespleten boom," or "Landscape with a Split Tree," created around 1869. You can find it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, it hits me with this almost mournful feeling. That gnarled tree in the middle looks like it's been through some serious storms. The muted palette, the quick brushstrokes…it's a somber scene, beautifully rendered. Curator: Yes, Israëls was a key figure in the Hague School, which focused on realistically depicting rural life. Think of this plein-air sketch, likely executed in watercolor, as part of the larger context of emerging landscape art and his involvement in bringing dignity to images of the working class. The method of quickly recording observed nature really underscores that. Editor: Dignity... that's a great way to put it. You see that broken fence? And the starkness of the watercolor medium itself...It speaks to a rawness. Did Israëls purposefully choose a split tree, maybe reflecting his own perceptions, feelings of hardship, or even the harsh realities of agrarian existence? Curator: Possibly! The materiality of the artwork—watercolor on paper—allows for transparency and fluidity, reflecting the fleeting nature of impressions. We know from his letters he wanted to reveal social truths. Consider the conditions under which these works were made versus what wealthy patrons were consuming at that time. Editor: It feels incomplete somehow, a visual haiku almost. The economy of the brushstrokes really puts pressure on each one to do its work conveying volume, space, light and atmosphere. Looking at how lightly those background elements were addressed you get this feeling this piece exists both as an observed rendering and an imaginative emotional landscape. Curator: I agree! And in its own way it underscores the idea that what appears simple is almost always complex once the materiality and artistic intention are considered. Editor: Right, something quick that has so much layered emotion embedded in its design, something easily transported allowing one to feel connected to nature at any time. It is so poignant. Curator: Thank you, it is that blend of method and affect.