Isaac Israels

Sheet is slightly warped (golvend NL) indicating that the sheet is most probably loose. Fresh colours. In good condition. Original frame. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Isaac Israels always held a strong fascination for French art and culture. He spoke the language fluently and visited Paris since his earliest youth. In 1889 he stayed in the French capital together with his writer-friend Frans Erens, who introduced him to Emile Zola, Jacobus Carolus Huysmans,  Etiènne (Stephane) Mallarmé and Odilon Redon. After he was granted permission to work inside the fashion houses Decroll and Paquin, Israels left for Paris in June 1903, staying there untill 1913. This decade is generally regared as his most creative period.

A fastidious observer, Israels was fascinated by the fashionable and pulsing life in the city. One of his favourite subjects were colourful, sunny views of the Bois de Boulogne and the Jardin des Tuileries, which he depicted masterfully. The medium he used - coloured chalks - suited his goal to capture fleeting moments instantly, without second thoughts, which adds to the spontaneity of his Parisian works. Dolf Welling writes in his book on the artist: 'Israels was an outstanding example of someone who could look. He confines himself to life as an aesthetic phenomenon. He was keen to capture that life, to hold a moment that would never return. But what struck him most in that moment was a human trait, a mood in his subject which he was able to communicate in an inscrutable way'.

This attractive pastel of a reading girl in the Bois de Boulogne is a great example of the Isaac Isreals' sunny impressionism. It has always remained in private hands.

The present lot can be compared to a watercolour of the same subject illustrated in A. Wagner, Isaac Israels, Rotterdam 1967, illustration 80. Wagner dates this watercolour around 1906-1910.