Twee schetsen van een hurkend figuur 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls made this sketch, ‘Two Sketches of a Squatting Figure’ with pencil on paper. Israëls lived through a time of significant social change, marked by increasing industrialization and urbanization in the Netherlands. Israëls was deeply moved by the plight of the poor, especially those in rural communities. His work often depicted fishermen and peasants, people who lived on the margins of society. We might ask, who are these figures he sketched? What is their gender? How old are they? Do they represent a societal class? Israëls sought to portray the dignity and humanity of these figures, rather than romanticizing them. His focus on the emotional and physical hardships of daily life, combined with his subdued color palette, evokes a sense of empathy and social consciousness. Israëls' art offers an alternative narrative. Through these images, we may reflect on the value and resilience of people living difficult lives, challenging traditional narratives of progress. It acknowledges the profound emotional and personal dimensions of human existence.