59 - Isaac Israels (1865-1934)

Isaac Israels (1865-1934) Charming lady, wearing a hat and voile, in the Bois de Boulogne, signed 'Isaac Israels' (lower right),watercolour on paper, 48x33 cm,Exhibited:-Zeist, Zeister Slot, ‘143 maal Isaac Israels’, 20 April-5 August 1974, no. 72, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue no. 25.-The Hague, Van Voorst van Beest Gallery, ‘Isaac Israels’, 27 September-1 December 1996.Literature:-Jacob H. Reisel, ‘Isaac Israels: portret van een Hollands impressionist’, Amsterdam 1967, p. 72, ill. p. 82.Provenance:-From the collection of the late Mrs Floor van Raab van Canstein, granddaughter of the artist Floris Arntzenius (1864-1925).On the reverse a portrait of a lady.From an early age, Isaac Israels was surrounded by the cultural circles of his time and came into contact with artists such as Thérèse Schwartze (1851-1918) and George Breitner (1857-1923), while the work of French artists, particularly Édouard Manet (1832-1883), also left a lasting impression. The annual family visits to Paris further strengthened his fascination with the French metropole, its modern life, and its lively streets. This interest in contemporary life is already reflected in the present watercolour, in which a fashionable woman is captured in a fleeting moment, rather than presented as a formally posed portrait.Recognising his son's talent at an early age, Jozef Israëls encouraged him to pursue a career in painting. Although Isaac received his formal training at the Academy in The Hague and was closely connected to the artistic circles of the Hague School, he gradually moved away from the Hague School tradition associated with his father's generation. Instead, he developed a more immediate and impressionist approach, characterised by a spontaneous and fluent manner of painting. In the present work, broad washes of grey and blue establish the setting, while only a few decisive strokes define the woman's face, clothing, and striking hat. The untouched areas of the paper become an integral part of the composition, enhancing its light and immediacy.From around 1894 onwards, Israels frequently depicted young women and girls, passers-by, and scenes from everyday life. His subjects were found in a wide variety of settings, from the bustling streets of Amsterdam to the beaches of Scheveningen. Paris became an equally important source of inspiration. Between 1904 and 1925, he maintained a studio in the French capital, where he observed figures in the streets, parks, and cafés, often focusing on women and young girls. The Bois de Boulogne, in particular, provided a recurring setting for his scenes of Parisians and visitors at leisure. The elegant appearance of the woman in the present watercolour, with her large dark hat and fashionable attire, reflects Israels' fascination with the modern woman as a subject. Rather than describing her surroundings in detail, he allows the figure to emerge from an atmospheric, almost dissolving background.