Artieste met een kopje in een kleedkamer c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing titled 'Artist with a Cup in a Dressing Room,' now housed in the Rijksmuseum. It provides a glimpse into the intimate, often unseen spaces of the art world. Israels, who worked in the Netherlands, gives us more than just a portrait, it's a candid view behind the scenes. The setting is a dressing room, a place of preparation and perhaps vulnerability. The presence of the cup suggests a moment of pause, a break from the demands of artistic creation. Consider the social context in which Israels was operating. How were artists perceived, and what was their role in society? To answer that we can examine letters, diaries, and other archival documents of the time. Israels' drawing invites us to look beyond the finished artwork and consider the social conditions that shape its production.