Isaac Israels (1865-1934)

Jardin du Luxembourg, jour d'été à Paris

signed 'Isaac/Israels' (lower right)

oil on canvas, 46x55 cm
Painted circa 1910-1912.

Exhibited:
-The Hague, Kunsthandel P.B. van Voorst van Beest, 'Isaac Israels', 1991.

Literature:
-Dolf Welling, 'Isaac Israels: The sunny world of a Hage cosmopolitan', The Hague 1991, ill. p. 77.

Provenance:
-Auction, Christie's, Amsterdam, 29 April 2003, lot 181, where acquired by the present owner.

In the nineteenth century the vibrant city of Paris attracted a lot of artists from all around Europe, including Isaac Israels. In Paris he found all the mondaine leisure activities that formed a source of inspiration to his oeuvre, for example strolling on the boulevards, cafes, theatres, cabarets, parks and the elegant world of haute couture. Israels was able to gain access to exclusive fashion houses such as Paquin, where he not only observed the wealthy clientele, but was also able to document the work of the seamstresses and hat-makers.

Living in a studio on the Boulevard de Clichy no. 9. Israels turned his impressions of the bustling Parisian atmosphere into numerous dynamic paintings. This present lot was painted between 1910 and 1912, and is a typical example of Israels mature painterly style, which he fully developed during his Parisian years. It was in parks like Jardin du Luxembourg that Israels encountered beautiful young ‘Parisians’ and painted them 'en plein air'.

Characteristic in this painting are the figures that seem to go beyond the frame of the painting, they are rigorously cut off from the picture, in exactly the same way a person ends up only partially in a photo. This increases the effect of a short, unposed snapshot. The brushstrokes are steadfast and daring, yet appear to radiate with energy. The ease and the fast pace of the brushwork is astonishing; a breezy moment captured in a lively matter.