DOI Heft:
No. 224 (November 1911)
DOI Artikel:Halton, Ernest G.: Josef Israëls: the leader of the modern dutch school
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21155#0123
Josef Israels
squalid side of life often provided them with themes public. In his conception of humble life he saw
—while his technique was essentially original, beauty in all its phases, in its poverty, privation
Indeed the methods he adopted in order to and sorrow as well as in its joys; and that he
obtain his effects were as mysterious as they were should select as a theme for the majority of his
varied. Mr. Frederick Morton has truly said of works the pathetic side is but a proof of his intense
him that " he worked by intuition, and groped human sympathy. The lot of those born to suffer
uncertainly, laboriously towards a desired end. at the hand of fate touched him profoundly, and in
That end was invariably attained, but its attainment portraying their sorrows he gave evidence of his
was due not so much to the man's comprehension unaffected sincerity.
and mastery of the means at the disposal of the Reference to Israels' essays in portraiture has so-
painter, as to his devotion to a purpose and his far been avoided for two reasons. First, because
willingness to struggle with a problem until he the majority of his portraits were executed during
had mastered it to his satisfaction." When at the earlier part of his career, while we are
work his subject seemed to absorb him and his concerned here more particularly with the pro-
energy and enthusiasm were unbounded. ductions of his maturity ; and secondly, because this
" An artist must possess two qualities," Israels phase of his art was dealt with a few months ago
once said to the writer, "sentiment and the power to in these pages in an article by Professor Max Eisler
paint. One is of no use without the other, though on "Modern Dutch Portrait Painting."* The
the greater of these is sentiment, for an artist fact that Israels painted quite a number of portraits
cannot successfully paint a subject which does not is little known outside his own country, though his
possess his sentiment. The sea, for instance, will earliest efforts were entirely confined to this class
form the sentiment of one painter, and his pictures of work. It should be remembered, too, that
will appeal to any one possessing that same during his training under Kruseman he had every
sentiment." A careful consideration will convince inducement to develop in this direction, for
one of the truth of this interesting assertion, Kruseman was one of the most popular portrait-
interesting because it gives a clue to one of the painters of his day in Holland. It is to his credit
chief causes of Israels' success as a painter and that he encouraged his pupil to study the works of
his world-wide popularity. In most of his im- the Old Masters; and Israels' early impressions of
portant canvases human sentiment is the under- the portraits of Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Franz Hals,
lying force which, in its direct appeal to the and Van der Heist, related in the article mentioned,,
emotions, has given him a remarkable hold on his * The Studio, March 1911.
**•*•' . .". - zr - ~ ....
"potato gatherers"
from the oil painting by josef israels
(By Permission of Mr. A. Preyer)
squalid side of life often provided them with themes public. In his conception of humble life he saw
—while his technique was essentially original, beauty in all its phases, in its poverty, privation
Indeed the methods he adopted in order to and sorrow as well as in its joys; and that he
obtain his effects were as mysterious as they were should select as a theme for the majority of his
varied. Mr. Frederick Morton has truly said of works the pathetic side is but a proof of his intense
him that " he worked by intuition, and groped human sympathy. The lot of those born to suffer
uncertainly, laboriously towards a desired end. at the hand of fate touched him profoundly, and in
That end was invariably attained, but its attainment portraying their sorrows he gave evidence of his
was due not so much to the man's comprehension unaffected sincerity.
and mastery of the means at the disposal of the Reference to Israels' essays in portraiture has so-
painter, as to his devotion to a purpose and his far been avoided for two reasons. First, because
willingness to struggle with a problem until he the majority of his portraits were executed during
had mastered it to his satisfaction." When at the earlier part of his career, while we are
work his subject seemed to absorb him and his concerned here more particularly with the pro-
energy and enthusiasm were unbounded. ductions of his maturity ; and secondly, because this
" An artist must possess two qualities," Israels phase of his art was dealt with a few months ago
once said to the writer, "sentiment and the power to in these pages in an article by Professor Max Eisler
paint. One is of no use without the other, though on "Modern Dutch Portrait Painting."* The
the greater of these is sentiment, for an artist fact that Israels painted quite a number of portraits
cannot successfully paint a subject which does not is little known outside his own country, though his
possess his sentiment. The sea, for instance, will earliest efforts were entirely confined to this class
form the sentiment of one painter, and his pictures of work. It should be remembered, too, that
will appeal to any one possessing that same during his training under Kruseman he had every
sentiment." A careful consideration will convince inducement to develop in this direction, for
one of the truth of this interesting assertion, Kruseman was one of the most popular portrait-
interesting because it gives a clue to one of the painters of his day in Holland. It is to his credit
chief causes of Israels' success as a painter and that he encouraged his pupil to study the works of
his world-wide popularity. In most of his im- the Old Masters; and Israels' early impressions of
portant canvases human sentiment is the under- the portraits of Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Franz Hals,
lying force which, in its direct appeal to the and Van der Heist, related in the article mentioned,,
emotions, has given him a remarkable hold on his * The Studio, March 1911.
**•*•' . .". - zr - ~ ....
"potato gatherers"
from the oil painting by josef israels
(By Permission of Mr. A. Preyer)