Study of Sijtje van Bemmel (1880-1963)

This panel from 1896 bearing the title Study of Sijtje van Bemmel (1880–1963) is unusual in Jozef Israëls's output for its specificity — most of his figure studies remain anonymous, identified only by type ("old man," "fisherwoman") rather than personal name. The subject Sijtje van Bemmel would have been about sixteen years old in 1896, making this a portrait study of a young girl at the threshold of adulthood. The inclusion of birth and death dates in the title suggests the work was catalogued retrospectively, after the subject's life was complete, adding a historical melancholy to what was presumably an observed studio study. Panel as support, rather than canvas, indicates a small-scale, intimate work — a rapid study rather than a finished exhibition painting. The Rijksmuseum holds this panel within its collection, preserving it as a document of Israëls's working practice as much as a finished artwork.

Panel support allows for a smoother, more precise technique than canvas, and Israëls likely used it here for a small-format study where detail and economy of means mattered. The handling would be careful but swift, capturing the essential character of a young face without elaborate finish. Tonal modeling on the small scale requires concentration on the most expressive features.