Portret van Jozef Israëls 1895 - 1936

This is Theodorus Henricus Kerstel’s portrait of Jozef Israëls, most likely made with graphite on paper. It’s a striking image, in part because of the artist’s handling of a very traditional medium – drawing. See how the image is built up through small, hatched marks, almost like the weave of a textile. Look at the way the graphite is applied; it almost looks like drypoint, an intaglio printmaking technique, where the image is scratched directly into a metal plate. The way the shading falls on Jozef’s face and clothing really emphasises his presence and character. Drawing is often seen as a preliminary activity, a sketch toward a final artwork. But here, the graphic qualities of the work are central. It emphasizes the artist's hand, and its immediacy invites us to consider it as a carefully considered, resolved work. The image celebrates the labor and skill involved in the act of drawing itself, elevating the medium beyond its traditional role.