Kartoffeln schälen
c. 1880
Jozef Israëls captures a quiet, humble moment of childhood chores in this intimate scene. Two children are hard at work peeling potatoes in a rustic kitchen; the boy perches on a tall chair while the younger girl sits low with a bowl, surrounded by hanging provisions and a lone wooden clog. Israëls, a leading figure of the Hague School, was famous for his empathetic portrayals of the working class and poor, earning him the nickname 'the Dutch Millet' for his focus on peasant life. The loose, energetic lines suggest a sketch-like quality, capturing the raw reality of daily survival in the late 19th century.