DOI article:
Halton, Ernest G.: Josef Israëls: the leader of the modern Dutch school
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43448#0104
Josef Israels
It was during a visit to the little fishing village
of Zandvoort that there was first revealed to him
the hidden beauties of the humble life of his
countrymen, through which he was at last to find
the means of expressing his real self. From that
time his art developed on natural and one might add
national lines—for Israels was undoubtedly a great
factor in the development of the art of his country.
His early training, based on academic tradition, was
of little use to him now, indeed the defects which
may be detected in some of the works he produced
during the following few years' can almost invariably
be traced to it, and it was not until he had entirely
thrown off the influence of Kruseman and Paris
that he really “found ” himself in those impressive
portrayals of lowly life, teeming
with human sentiment, with which
every one is familiar.
It is with these productions of
what may be called his middle
and later periods that we are
chiefly concerned here. And let
us say at once, much as we admire
many of his finest works, display¬
ing as they do a remarkable indi¬
viduality and undoubted ability,
it is impossible to accept as great
achievements every picture which
Israels produced. Indeed there
are canvases hanging in public
and private collections which add
but little lustre to his great repu¬
tation. When we consider his
enormous output during the last
fifty years of his life, and that he
continued to paint right up to the
time of his death, this is hardly
to be wondered at. But the most
apparent weaknesses may gene¬
rally be attributed to his early
training or lack of training. At
the close of his student days we
find his work lamentably deficient
in those qualities which are asso¬
ciated with the old Dutch masters :
fine draughtsmanship, masterly
technique, keen powers of percep¬
tion, and a fine sense of colour.
Jan Veth, one of Israels’ most
ardent admirers, adequately
summed up thesedeficiencieswhen
he said: “ It is wonderful how,
with so little power of precise per¬
ception, this painter of real life has
90
grown to be so great an artist. A piece of actuality,
clearly seen, line for line, tone on tone, with all
that is cognisable—sheen and shadow, rigidity
and softness, pliancy and solidity—is to be found
in perfection in almost every old Dutch master,
but will be looked for in vain in Israels’ deeply
impressive pictures. To appreciate him rightly it
is necessary to keep this difference clearly in mind.
But the difference between the modern Dutchman
and his matchless predecessors goes further than
this ; the old Dutch painters, with all their amazing
accuracy of eye, had also a well-tested technique.
Not only is Israels devoid of that keenness of vision
—in vain do we try to discover any system in his
harmonious treatment and tentative technique—
ON THE DUNES” FROM THE WATER-COLOUR BY JOSEF ISRAELS
( By permission of Messrs. Scholtens and Son )
It was during a visit to the little fishing village
of Zandvoort that there was first revealed to him
the hidden beauties of the humble life of his
countrymen, through which he was at last to find
the means of expressing his real self. From that
time his art developed on natural and one might add
national lines—for Israels was undoubtedly a great
factor in the development of the art of his country.
His early training, based on academic tradition, was
of little use to him now, indeed the defects which
may be detected in some of the works he produced
during the following few years' can almost invariably
be traced to it, and it was not until he had entirely
thrown off the influence of Kruseman and Paris
that he really “found ” himself in those impressive
portrayals of lowly life, teeming
with human sentiment, with which
every one is familiar.
It is with these productions of
what may be called his middle
and later periods that we are
chiefly concerned here. And let
us say at once, much as we admire
many of his finest works, display¬
ing as they do a remarkable indi¬
viduality and undoubted ability,
it is impossible to accept as great
achievements every picture which
Israels produced. Indeed there
are canvases hanging in public
and private collections which add
but little lustre to his great repu¬
tation. When we consider his
enormous output during the last
fifty years of his life, and that he
continued to paint right up to the
time of his death, this is hardly
to be wondered at. But the most
apparent weaknesses may gene¬
rally be attributed to his early
training or lack of training. At
the close of his student days we
find his work lamentably deficient
in those qualities which are asso¬
ciated with the old Dutch masters :
fine draughtsmanship, masterly
technique, keen powers of percep¬
tion, and a fine sense of colour.
Jan Veth, one of Israels’ most
ardent admirers, adequately
summed up thesedeficiencieswhen
he said: “ It is wonderful how,
with so little power of precise per¬
ception, this painter of real life has
90
grown to be so great an artist. A piece of actuality,
clearly seen, line for line, tone on tone, with all
that is cognisable—sheen and shadow, rigidity
and softness, pliancy and solidity—is to be found
in perfection in almost every old Dutch master,
but will be looked for in vain in Israels’ deeply
impressive pictures. To appreciate him rightly it
is necessary to keep this difference clearly in mind.
But the difference between the modern Dutchman
and his matchless predecessors goes further than
this ; the old Dutch painters, with all their amazing
accuracy of eye, had also a well-tested technique.
Not only is Israels devoid of that keenness of vision
—in vain do we try to discover any system in his
harmonious treatment and tentative technique—
ON THE DUNES” FROM THE WATER-COLOUR BY JOSEF ISRAELS
( By permission of Messrs. Scholtens and Son )