Acrobaten c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of acrobats with pencil on paper. He was a Dutch painter, who captured fleeting moments of modern life. In this sketch, Israels uses a quick and economical line to depict two acrobats, revealing his interest in capturing the ephemeral nature of performance. Acrobats, often associated with popular entertainment and working-class culture, became increasingly visible in urban settings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, offering artists a glimpse into the changing social landscape of the Netherlands. We see similar subject matters in his paintings of dancers, boxers, and other performers. As the art world was expanding, the old institutions of art such as the Academy, were losing their grip on what was considered to be ‘high art’. Artists started portraying everyday life, and more specifically, the lives of the working class. To truly appreciate Israels' vision, one needs to consider the social context in which he worked, researching not only the history of art institutions but also the broader cultural and economic forces shaping his artistic choices.