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拍品专文
Around 1900 Israels fascination with the bustling nightlife of Amsterdam extended to the fashionable and elegant world of haute couture, when he was introduced to the Amsterdam fashion house Hirsch & Co. Hirsch opened its doors on the Leidseplein in 1881 and by the turn of the century it was one of the leading fashion establishments in the Netherlands. Isaac was given the privilege to work within the domain of high fashion in Amsterdam. Through his contacts at Hirsch & Co., he later also entered the exclusive Parisian fashion houses Drécoll and Paquin, after which he moved in 1903 to the French capital in 1903. At the three exclusive maisons de couture, Israels was permitted to observe its activities at first hand, working in the fitting rooms, the corridors, the sewing ateliers, and during fashion shows. The result was a large number of watercolours, pastels and oil paintings of subjects connected with the fashion business: the classy clientele, elegant mannequins, stylish essayeuses (fitting models), but also hardworking midinettes (seamstresses) (see lot 40) performing delicate labour in the workshops.
After his stay in Paris until 1913, Isaac returned to Amsterdam. At Hirsch's Thé Dansant's, its fashion shows, he fell under the spell of the twin sisters Helena (1895-1964) and Geertruida Wehmann (1895-1975), two of the leading mannequins at Hirsch (figs. 2,3). The present lot is an exceptional example of the twin sisters posing in haute couture creations of maison Hirsch & Co. The girls modelled for Hirsch in the period between 1916 and 1918 and frequently appeared in articles and newsfeeds on the fashion house. As their fame and fortune grew, they came to be known by their synonyms and professional artist names Ippy and Gertie. They became his most beloved mannequins. In these years, he painted Ippy and Gertie various times, often together, of which the present lot is an beautiful example.
With dynamic and bold brushstrokes Isaac depicted the models close together, with their faces turned to the viewer. Their seemingly nonchalant facial expressions leave them somewhat indifferent to the spectator. The relatively bright colours and rapid treatment of the subject matter reveal his French influence. However, Isaac wasn't as extreme in terms of focus on colour and light as his French impressionist contemporaries: the subject remained his prime focus. Still, the light palette perfectly shows the French legacy on Isaac's Dutch impressionistic style, being characterized by his heavy brushstrokes: dynamic, swift and bold, yet with delicate results. His beloved series of pastels and paintings executed in the fashion houses are an important part in his oeuvre, of which the present lot is a spectacular and captivating example.
Please compare to a similar oil painting Ippy and Gertie posing at fashion house Hirsch, Amsterdam (circa 1916), by the same hand, sold in these rooms on 20 November 2012 (lot 53, sold for EUR 229,000) (fig. 3).
After his stay in Paris until 1913, Isaac returned to Amsterdam. At Hirsch's Thé Dansant's, its fashion shows, he fell under the spell of the twin sisters Helena (1895-1964) and Geertruida Wehmann (1895-1975), two of the leading mannequins at Hirsch (figs. 2,3). The present lot is an exceptional example of the twin sisters posing in haute couture creations of maison Hirsch & Co. The girls modelled for Hirsch in the period between 1916 and 1918 and frequently appeared in articles and newsfeeds on the fashion house. As their fame and fortune grew, they came to be known by their synonyms and professional artist names Ippy and Gertie. They became his most beloved mannequins. In these years, he painted Ippy and Gertie various times, often together, of which the present lot is an beautiful example.
With dynamic and bold brushstrokes Isaac depicted the models close together, with their faces turned to the viewer. Their seemingly nonchalant facial expressions leave them somewhat indifferent to the spectator. The relatively bright colours and rapid treatment of the subject matter reveal his French influence. However, Isaac wasn't as extreme in terms of focus on colour and light as his French impressionist contemporaries: the subject remained his prime focus. Still, the light palette perfectly shows the French legacy on Isaac's Dutch impressionistic style, being characterized by his heavy brushstrokes: dynamic, swift and bold, yet with delicate results. His beloved series of pastels and paintings executed in the fashion houses are an important part in his oeuvre, of which the present lot is a spectacular and captivating example.
Please compare to a similar oil painting Ippy and Gertie posing at fashion house Hirsch, Amsterdam (circa 1916), by the same hand, sold in these rooms on 20 November 2012 (lot 53, sold for EUR 229,000) (fig. 3).