Paarden c. 1855 - 1859

Jozef Israëls made this graphite sketch titled 'Paarden' which translates to Horses, in the late 19th century. Israëls was a leading figure in the Hague School, a group of Dutch Realist painters who focused on the lives of ordinary people. During this period, the Netherlands was undergoing significant social and economic changes. Israëls, deeply moved by the plight of the poor and working class, sought to depict their struggles with empathy and dignity. Here, his drawings of horses transcend the mere depiction of animals; they become symbols of labor, resilience, and perhaps even the shared burdens of the working class. Israëls’s art gave visibility to those often overlooked, challenging the prevailing social hierarchies of his time, while reminding us of the shared humanity between people and animals.