Staand meisje met hoed en tasje 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls made this pencil drawing, "Standing Girl with Hat and Bag," sometime in the 19th century. It's a simple sketch, yet it evokes the social realities of the time, particularly the lives of working-class children in the Netherlands. Israëls was known for his paintings of peasant life in the Dutch countryside. He was associated with the Hague School, a group of artists who reacted against the grand, historical paintings favored by the art academies. They focused on the everyday experiences of ordinary people. Here, the girl's plain clothing and practical hat suggest a life of labor and limited resources. The sketch invites us to consider the social structures that shaped her existence. Historical records, such as census data and photographs, can give us more insight into the lives of children like her. Art like this serves as a reminder of the social conditions that shape artistic production and the power of art to challenge or reflect those conditions.