When One Grows Old

When One Grows Old
Dutch: Als men oud wordt
Artist	Jozef Israëls
Year	1883 (1883)
Medium	Oil-on-canvas
Movement	Realism (arts)
Dimensions	160 cm (63 in) x 101 cm (40 in)[1]
Location	Kunstmuseum Den Haag, The Hague
Website	When One Grows Old

When One Grows Old is an oil on canvas painting by Dutch artist Jozef Israëls, from 1883. It depicts an old woman warming herself by a fireplace. The painting is housed at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and it is on loan from Erven van Hijmans van Wadenoyen.[1]

History

In 1871 Jozef Israëls moved to The Hague. In 1881 he completed the painting When One Grows Old.[2] In Dutch, the painting is known as Als men oud wordt.[3]

Description

The painting is of an old peasant woman who is warming herself by a fireplace. The painting depicts a contemplative stillness.[2] The old woman is hunched over with her back bent and her hands stretched out toward the fireplace.[4]

Reception

In the book Jozef Israëls author John Ernest Phythian states that the painting sums up Israëls techniques as a painter. His image of the woman (as with his other peasant subjects) is a portrayal of a peasant who is not at work.[2]

References

1. "Joseph Israels When one grows old, 1883". RKD. RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
2. Lange, Derek B. (2018). The hague. Newbury: New Word City. ISBN 9781640191747. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
3. "Jozef Israëls 1824-1911 Als men oud wordt". kunstmuseum. Kunstmuseum Den Haag. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
4. Phythian, John Ernest (1912). Jozef Israëls. England: G. Allen, Limited. p. 86. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.