Jozef Israels (1824-1911): Oil on canvas mounted on panel; 3 - Lot 246

Jozef Israels (1824-1911): Oil on canvas mounted on panel; 31x25 cm. Dutch painter, leader of the Hague School. Initially an accademic painter, he became a master of social realism from 1850 onwards. A convalescence in a North Sea fishing village opened his eyes to the poverty and harsh life of fishermen and their families. This oil on panel, probably dated 1852/1865, is a revelation of Jozef Israels' style: the gray light of the North Sea, a tribute to fishermen's wives, an almost sketched fishing boat: the omnipresence of toil. We're a long way from the colorful, epic romanticism of the period. The colors are soft, worked in a palette of grays, beiges and greens. The only overtones are in the treatment of the waves and the cloud that hides the sun. A canvas has been mounted on the panel. The support is in good condition. Signature lower right.