Jozef Israëls

Watecolor on paper laid down on canvas. The edge of the orginal sheet is vsible along the left edge. The picture surface is in generally good condition aside from minor scattered abrasions. Under UV light: there are a few very minor lines of a shiny medium on the work (in the lower left corner and two thin lines to the right of the sitter's head) that fluroesce under UV. There are also some very minor impaints scattered along the extreme edges.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This portrait of an elderly Jewish man recalls the clothes peddler depicted in A Son of the Ancient Race (Susan Tumarkin Goodman, ed., The Emergence of Jewish Artists in Nineteenth Century Europe, exhibition catalogue, The Jewish Museum, New York, 2001, no. 48). As noted in the catalogue, far from accepting the fate of impoverished Jews of the time, Israëls sought to encourage social reform with his searing portrayals of life in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. (Ibid, p. 97)