Portret van een onbekende man met sigaret c. 1930 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing, titled 'Portret van een onbekende man met sigaret', during his career in the Netherlands. The rough sketch gives the impression of a quick study, perhaps from life. The sitter's identity remains a mystery. We can only guess at his social standing and relationship to the artist. But we can also consider the institutional context of the portrait. Portraits have a long history as commissions, produced for a paying client. They can act as status symbols for the sitter and advertisements for the artist. But Israels produced this sketch on paper, an inexpensive and portable material. The work is now held by the Rijksmuseum, an institution dedicated to preserving cultural heritage and promoting art historical knowledge. By researching the museum's records, and other documentary sources related to the artist, such as letters and exhibition catalogs, we can start to build up a picture of the artwork's history and its place within the broader social history of art.