Twee gearmde vrouwen, in profiel c. 1886 - 1903

Isaac Israels made this drawing of two poor women in profile with charcoal on paper. Israels belonged to a group of Dutch artists at the turn of the century known as the Amsterdam Impressionists. They depicted urban life, and were particularly interested in representing the lives of ordinary people. Israels was a cosmopolitan artist who studied at the Hague Academy and in Paris. Like other modern artists, such as Edgar Degas and Toulouse Lautrec, he was drawn to the world of the theater and the street. In this sketch, Israels shows us two working-class women, perhaps laborers or beggars. The rapid strokes of charcoal convey the hardship of their lives. Their faces are cast in shadow, and their bodies are hunched over, as if weighed down by the burden of poverty. The Rijksmuseum provides invaluable resources for understanding Dutch art and its social context. By studying archival materials and historical documents, we can gain a deeper appreciation of the ways in which artists like Israels engaged with the social realities of their time.