A Dutch Type

The renowned painter and printmaker Josef Israëls visited the village of Katwyk first time in 1856, and he was inspired by the everyday life of the fisherfolk that influenced the rest of his oeuvre. In the 1870s Israëls returned to The Hague and started converting his paintings to the popular medium of prints due to high demand. This etching, also known as “Old Katwyk Woman” was probably made in this decade and is one of the approximately thirty plates that Israëls etched after original designs. The elderly woman sits hunched against a dark background, covered in a black shawl. The only highlights of the picture are her bright cap and the light hitting her wrinkled, weary face from the left. This atmospheric etching can be compared to Rembrandt’s late prints, regarding the subject of the ageing woman, the use of chiaroscuro and the delicate draughtsmanship applied by both artists.