Kop van een kind 1834 - 1911

This is Jozef Israëls's sketch 'Kop van een kind' at the Rijksmuseum, made with graphite on paper. The subtle nature of the graphite is instrumental in capturing the delicate features of the child's face. Israëls’s artistic practice was intimately connected with the social realities of his time. As a member of the Hague School, he turned away from grand historical narratives to focus on the daily lives of ordinary people, especially those of the working class. The immediacy of sketching allowed Israëls to capture fleeting moments and intimate observations, reflecting a wider movement towards realism in art during the 19th century. The humble nature of the materials emphasizes the artist's interest in the everyday and the ordinary. It’s a reminder that profound artistic expression can be found in the simplest of means and subjects. This challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and the so-called ‘minor’ arts, inviting us to see the value and beauty in the unadorned and the unpretentious.