Artwork
Country Boy on a Pole Barrier
Country Boy on a Pole Barrier is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Jozef Israëls. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1905, Country Boy on a Pole Barrier is an oil painting applied to a wooden panel. The work measures 28 cm in height and 37 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece is classified as a landscape painting that depicts a tree, reflecting the artist's engagement with naturalistic subjects typical of the genre.
History & Provenance
Country Boy on a Pole Barrier is an oil painting on panel created by Jozef Israëls in 1905. The work measures 28 cm in height and 37 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The painting depicts a landscape scene featuring a tree.
Overview
Jozef Israëls painted Country Boy on a Pole Barrier in 1905 with oil on canvas. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and reflects the artist’s late‑career shift toward post‑impressionist concerns, moving beyond the realist tendencies of the Hague School for which he was renowned.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a young boy perched on a low wooden fence amid a dense forest. Tall, dark trunks dominate the background while the child, dressed in plain attire, holds a small object in his hands, suggesting a moment of quiet observation within a natural setting.
Context
By 1905 the Hague School’s influence was waning, and many of its practitioners, including Israëls, were experimenting with looser forms and richer textures. Country Boy on a Pole Barrier exemplifies this shift, marrying the school’s interest in everyday subjects with the emerging emphasis on painterly surface and color.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jozef Israëls (Dutch pronunciation:; 27 January 1824 – 12 August 1911) was a Dutch painter.
