Twee Scheveninger vissersvrouwen: two girls chatting

Scheveningen had developed from a calm fishing village into a sophisticated beach resort at the end of the 19th Century. The attractive village was a melting pot for wealthy tourists, artists and locals alike. The Israels family was one of many who spent their summers in there. From 1895 onwards Isaac Israels would stay with his father Jozef during the summer, who rented a villa at the Oranje Hotel. With his father and the famous artist Max Liebermann (1847-1935), who was a friend of the family, Isaac would work together. Jozef Israels concentrated on depicting the local population and the hardship of their life, but his cosmopolitan son Isaac preferred to depict the more worldly beach scenes. The wealthy and the locals strolling side by side on the boulevard. Scheveningen holds a special place in the oeuvre and life of Isaac Israels. Even in the years when Israels lived abroad, he would still return to The Hague and Scheveningen in the summer to work there. Women - both working class and elegant ladies - fascinated the artist throughout his career and form a recurring theme within his oeuvre. The present lot is a powerful and joyous rendering of two Scheveninger girls. The artist has no need for the trappings of detail. The spectator is drawn in by the pleasant warmth exuded by the girls. The strength of the present lot lies in the wonderful combination of strong sunlight, bright colours and vigorous broad brushstrokes.