Vissersvrouw met kind op de arm aan het strand c. 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this etching of a fisherwoman and child, now held at the Rijksmuseum, in the late 19th century. During this period, there was a growing artistic interest in depicting the lives of the working class, and Israëls was at the forefront of this movement in the Netherlands. In this image, Israëls captures a scene of everyday life on the coast. The woman, presumably the child’s mother, stands on the beach, gazing out at the sea, perhaps waiting for a loved one to return. The starkness of the landscape and the somber tones of the etching evoke a sense of hardship and resilience, reflecting the difficult lives of fishing families. Consider how gender and class intersect here. The woman’s role as both caregiver and member of a maritime community highlights the intertwined responsibilities that were often placed on women in these communities. Israëls’s choice to focus on the emotional depth of his subjects, rather than idealizing them, offers a poignant commentary on the human condition. This work invites us to reflect on the lives of those who often go unseen and unacknowledged.