The best-known 19th-century Dutch painter of scenes of peasant life, Israëls was born at Groningen and trained first with Jan Adam Kruseman and then at the Amsterdam Academy under Jan Willem Pieneman. He also received training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, returning to Holland in 1847.
His earliest works were romantic historical paintings, but after staying at Zandvoort in 1855 he concentrated on peasant scenes - usually with fishermen - which recall works by his contemporaries in France, especially Millet and Daumier. In his later years Israëls lived in The Hague and became internationally famous, exhibiting in Paris and London as well as in Holland.
Jozef Israëls
1824 - 1911
Paintings by Jozef Israëls
An old man writes by the glow of a candle; it appears to be the only source of light in the darkened room. A collection of framed prints and drawings crowded on the wall is barely visible. Wide cracks caused by paint shrinkage run across the canvas, revealing the white ground and making the detai...
Not on display
Dark groups of figures stand out against the light of the pale blue and silver sky. A huddled procession comes over the windswept dunes: two fishermen are carrying the body of dead man. Ahead of everyone else walks a woman, presumably the widow, her two children clinging to her.The composition wa...
Not on display