Lot Essay
Isaac Israels developed his interest in Indonesian subjects from about 1898 onwards. In 1915-1916 he painted Indonesian students who were living in Leyden. They would pose for him in his studio in The Hague or on his balcony at home which he decked out with rented palm trees and a gamelan setting in order to create a more Indonesian atmosphere. During this period he executed many works with the Gamelan subject (cf. lot 418, Christie's Amsterdam, 2 May 1990).
In 1921 he made his first and last trip to Java, much against his will, remarking in a letter "for better or for worse - I come".
He was immediately inspired by the tropical light, he visited Solo (Surakarta) and was granted permission to paint the portrait of the Mangkoenagara (cf. Portrait of the Mangkoenagara, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands). He also worked on several canvasses of Javanese war dances in the Pendoppo as well as numerous Javanese court dancers with audiences and Gamelan orchestras (cf. Gamelan painting, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam).
Another of his trips took him to Bali where he was enchanted by the graceful dancers. He went to Batavia (Jakarta) where he produced his most colourful works, for instance the very impressionistic "Indonesian Men in a Sunlit Street" (cf. Anon. sale Christie's Amsterdam,22 April 1992, lot 241)
Within a year however he had already returned to Holland where he continued to compose the sunlit portraits of Indonesian figures in tropical settings.
In 1921 he made his first and last trip to Java, much against his will, remarking in a letter "for better or for worse - I come".
He was immediately inspired by the tropical light, he visited Solo (Surakarta) and was granted permission to paint the portrait of the Mangkoenagara (cf. Portrait of the Mangkoenagara, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands). He also worked on several canvasses of Javanese war dances in the Pendoppo as well as numerous Javanese court dancers with audiences and Gamelan orchestras (cf. Gamelan painting, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam).
Another of his trips took him to Bali where he was enchanted by the graceful dancers. He went to Batavia (Jakarta) where he produced his most colourful works, for instance the very impressionistic "Indonesian Men in a Sunlit Street" (cf. Anon. sale Christie's Amsterdam,22 April 1992, lot 241)
Within a year however he had already returned to Holland where he continued to compose the sunlit portraits of Indonesian figures in tropical settings.