Recept voor Königskuchen c. 1885 - 1911

This is a page from a sketchbook by Jozef Israëls, containing a recipe titled "Recept voor Königskuchen", or "Recipe for King's Cake." Although undated, this sketch offers insights into the domestic life of the artist, active in the Netherlands in the 19th century, as it combines the artistic with the everyday. Israëls belonged to the Hague School, a group of Dutch realist painters. His focus was on the lives of ordinary people, particularly peasant families. It is interesting to consider what role this recipe book played in his broader artistic project. Was it a means of connecting with his subjects on a personal level? Did he share the cake with them? Was it a symbol of domesticity and familial connection? To understand this work better, we might research cookbooks from the Netherlands in the 19th century to understand the availability and cost of the ingredients. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.