Study of Sijtje van Bemmel 1896

Jozef Israëls made this oil sketch of Sijtje van Bemmel in the Netherlands, though the exact date is unknown. Israëls was a painter of the Hague School, which sought to represent everyday life with a somber realism. Here, the sitter's features are softly modeled, and her social status is evident in her hat and jewelry. This piece speaks to the shifting social structures of the Netherlands in the 19th century, where the rise of the middle class led to new subjects for art. While the Dutch Golden Age had focused on genre painting and portraiture of the wealthy elite, the Hague School sought to depict a broader range of social classes and experiences. By looking at Israëls' biography, his relationship to artistic institutions, and the wider context of Dutch society at the time, we can better understand the meaning and significance of this work.