.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The young prodigy, Jozef Israels, was only eleven when he joined the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen. In 1842 he relocated to Amsterdam where he worked and studied in the studio of Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862). In these early years, he discovered his artistic style through depictions of historical- and portrait painting. However, in 1855 Jozef Israels visited the village of Zandvoort for a period of two months. During his time there he quickly embraced the honest way of life of the local fishing population as a new subject for his paintings. In so doing, he freed himself from his historical subjects and took a more imaginative approach to embedding subtle narratives within his compositions.
The theme of a fisher children wading through the surf was one of Israel's' most preferred subjects. The white of the crests of the tide come together to bring light to the gathering of children. The composition of the oldest child carrying the youngest brings a tenderness to the narrative of the painting, while the reflections are captured as sensitively as the subjects wading through the waves.
It is to the right of these reflections that a spurious signature for Bernardus Johannes Blommers (1845-1914), who favoured painting similar subjects, briefly lay on top of the paint layer, floating on the waves. This hid the true identity of the artist. It has been suggested this was hide the identity of the Jewish artist during the Second World War. In 2003, the 'Blommers' signature was questioned by Kunsthandel Mark Smit. The Blommers signature was carefully removed, and the protected Jozef Israels signature was revealed once again, sitting proudly alongside one of his favoured subjects.
The theme of a fisher children wading through the surf was one of Israel's' most preferred subjects. The white of the crests of the tide come together to bring light to the gathering of children. The composition of the oldest child carrying the youngest brings a tenderness to the narrative of the painting, while the reflections are captured as sensitively as the subjects wading through the waves.
It is to the right of these reflections that a spurious signature for Bernardus Johannes Blommers (1845-1914), who favoured painting similar subjects, briefly lay on top of the paint layer, floating on the waves. This hid the true identity of the artist. It has been suggested this was hide the identity of the Jewish artist during the Second World War. In 2003, the 'Blommers' signature was questioned by Kunsthandel Mark Smit. The Blommers signature was carefully removed, and the protected Jozef Israels signature was revealed once again, sitting proudly alongside one of his favoured subjects.