Isaac Israels (1865-1934) - Seated Female Nude: Teding van Berkhout collection: includes invoice

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Isaac Israëls, son of the celebrated painter Jozef Israëls, was a leading figure of Dutch Impressionism. A precocious talent, he debuted at the Exhibition of Living Masters in The Hague in 1881 at just sixteen. While best known for his spontaneous, sketch-like depictions of modern urban life, Israëls also possessed a rigorous academic foundation that surfaced in his more carefully observed figure studies. Beginning at age thirteen, Israëls trained under Johan Philip Koelman at the Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague, completing traditional plaster-cast and nude figure studies. By sixteen, he had mastered tight facial modeling and structural anatomy, as seen in his 1881 portraits and his early study of family friend Salomon van Witsen. Unlike his rapid pocket street sketches, his posed studio drawings in black chalk and graphite employ deliberate cross-hatching, clear anatomical weight, and carefully modeled facial planes.

The present drawing illustrates the interplay between these two facets of his draughtsmanship. Expressive hatching and cross-hatching lend the figure depth and vitality, while the defined contours and subtle touches of red chalk reveal a restrained, academic sensibility.

The work carries an intriguing historical provenance. Inscriptions on the reverse backing and original passe-partout* identify a former owner as Heer Teding van Berkhout, accompanied by the inventory number 43186-2. The Teding van Berkhout family was a prominent Dutch patrician dynasty with deep civic and philanthropic roots in Haarlem, commemorated by the city’s Teding van Berkhoutstraat, as well as longstanding ties to the Dutch art world—most notably through Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879–1969), art connoisseur and director of the Rijksprentenkabinet at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Israëls was a sought-after portraitist among Dutch high society and received commissions from members of the family.

Further corroborating this Haarlem connection is the workshop label of A.W. Leuven, Haarlem, the historic gilder, mirror, and frame maker established at Groote Markt 15. The framer’s handwritten instruction on the passe-partout—specifying solid oak without wax or stain*—reflects the understated Nieuwe Kunst and Hague School aesthetic favored by discerning Dutch collectors of the early twentieth century, who preferred natural, unvarnished oak over heavy gilding for works on paper. Additional markings on the reverse, including “Gorissen,” “J.G.,” and “226/2,” offer further avenues for provenance research.

Combining the immediacy of Israëls’s Impressionist observation with classical studio discipline, this evocative study is enriched by tangible links to a distinguished Dutch collecting milieu.

*Inscription on the original passe-partout: “Heer Teding van Berkhout … massief eiken, zonder was, zonder beits … geen adreskaart.”

⦿ Signed lower right: Isaac Israels
⦿ Dimensions (approx.): 46 x 32 cm (artwork), 83 x 67,5 cm (incl. frame/total).
⦿ Condition: Exhibits an authentic patina of age (see pictures).
⦿ Please note: Frame included gratis; comes as a gift and should be treated as such.
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