The Collector

1934

Painting of man with beard sitting at desk examining an object at table filled with small sculptures. — *The Collector* dates from the last year of Israëls’s life. It is in the style of Dutch impressionism, which emphasized the essence of a subject, rather than its light and color as did French impressionism. Many of Israëls’s paintings look as if they were painted quickly, in order to capture a moment in time. Paradoxically, his vigorous brushstrokes also convey a sense of movement.

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Credits

Collection Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam.

Published in: Todd M. Endelman and Zvi Gitelman, eds., The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 8, Crisis and Creativity between World Wars, 1918–1939 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020).

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