Twee staande vrouwen, mogelijk gearmd 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels likely made this charcoal drawing of two women sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It is a sketch, quickly rendered, but evocative. Israels was part of a group of Dutch artists who turned away from the grand subjects of the old masters and looked to capture scenes of everyday life, often with a focus on the working class and the urban environment. This informal sketch gives us a glimpse into the artist's process and frames his vision of the female experience. Considered alongside the work of his contemporaries and predecessors such as the impressionist Edgar Degas, the sketch reveals Israels as part of a generation of artists who found beauty and meaning in unassuming subjects. To fully appreciate this piece, one might examine the archives of the art world from this period and study the ways that the institutions of art shaped how artists thought about their subjects.