DOI issue:
No. 224 (November 1911)
DOI article:Halton, Ernest G.: Josef Israëls: the leader of the modern dutch school
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21155#0112
Josef Israels
It was during a visit to the little fishing village grown to be so great an artist. A piece of actuality,
of Zandvoort that there was first revealed to him clearly seen, line for line, tone on tone, with all
the hidden beauties of the humble life of his that is cognisable—sheen and shadow, rigidity
countrymen, through which he was at last to find and softness, pliancy and solidity—is to be found
the means of expressing his real self. From that in perfection in almost every old Dutch master,
time his art developed on natural and one might add but will be looked for in vain in Israels' deeply
national lines—for Israels was undoubtedly a great impressive pictures. To appreciate him rightly it
factor in the development of the art of his country, is necessary to keep this difference clearly in mind.
His early trairiing, based on academic tradition, was But the difference between the modern Dutchman
of little use to him now, indeed the defects which and his matchless predecessors goes further than
may be detected in some of the works he produced this ; the old Dutch painters, with all their amazing
during the following few years can almost invariably accuracy of eye, had also a well-tested technique,
be traced to it, and it was not until he had entirely Not only is Israels devoid of that keenness of vision
thrown off the influence of Kruseman and Paris —in vain do we try to discover any system in his
that he really "found " himself in those impressive harmonious treatment and tentative technique—
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-
ti • <■ . ■ r "ON THE DUNES FROM THE WATER-COLOUR EV imtF
ception, this painter of real life has (By permission of Messrs. Scholtens andSoT)
90
It was during a visit to the little fishing village grown to be so great an artist. A piece of actuality,
of Zandvoort that there was first revealed to him clearly seen, line for line, tone on tone, with all
the hidden beauties of the humble life of his that is cognisable—sheen and shadow, rigidity
countrymen, through which he was at last to find and softness, pliancy and solidity—is to be found
the means of expressing his real self. From that in perfection in almost every old Dutch master,
time his art developed on natural and one might add but will be looked for in vain in Israels' deeply
national lines—for Israels was undoubtedly a great impressive pictures. To appreciate him rightly it
factor in the development of the art of his country, is necessary to keep this difference clearly in mind.
His early trairiing, based on academic tradition, was But the difference between the modern Dutchman
of little use to him now, indeed the defects which and his matchless predecessors goes further than
may be detected in some of the works he produced this ; the old Dutch painters, with all their amazing
during the following few years can almost invariably accuracy of eye, had also a well-tested technique,
be traced to it, and it was not until he had entirely Not only is Israels devoid of that keenness of vision
thrown off the influence of Kruseman and Paris —in vain do we try to discover any system in his
that he really "found " himself in those impressive harmonious treatment and tentative technique—
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-
ti • <■ . ■ r "ON THE DUNES FROM THE WATER-COLOUR EV imtF
ception, this painter of real life has (By permission of Messrs. Scholtens andSoT)
90