Studie, mogelijk van een aap c. 1923 - 1934

This is a sketch, possibly of a monkey, made by Isaac Israels. Israels was working in the Netherlands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when Dutch art was increasingly engaged with the social realities of modern life. His choice of subject matter raises intriguing questions about the social context in which this sketch was created. In the late 19th century, the study of animals, especially primates, was gaining traction in scientific circles. The publication of Darwin’s theory of evolution had a wide-ranging effect on the culture of that time. Was Israels perhaps commenting on the supposed connection between primates and humans or on the treatment of animals in Dutch society? It's hard to be sure. Art history helps us to understand how an artist may have responded to the intellectual and social conditions of their time. To learn more, you might consult the artist's biography and consider critical studies of Dutch art from this period.