Meisje zittend met opgetrokken knieën op een stoep 1834 - 1911

This is an undated pencil drawing by Jozef Israëls, titled "Meisje zittend met opgetrokken knieën op een stoep" and currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The medium, graphite on paper, is unassuming, but the rapid, searching marks suggest an immediacy in the encounter between artist and subject. Israëls was known for his sympathetic depictions of the working class, and this sketch offers a glimpse into that social reality. The girl's posture – knees drawn up, head bowed – speaks to a weight of circumstance. The surrounding brickwork, rendered in equally spare detail, hints at an urban environment, perhaps one of poverty and hardship. While the drawing itself is quickly executed, it invites us to consider the larger context of labor and class that Israëls sought to capture in his art. It's a potent reminder that even the simplest materials, when wielded with skill and empathy, can convey profound social meaning.