The Sand Bargeman

In 1871 Jozef Israëls moved into a modern villa on the Koninginnegracht in The Hague. From his sitting room, he could see the fishermen, sand bargemen and seaside visitors travelling by canal to and from Scheveningen. Here the sand bargeman is transport-ing sand from the levelled dunes to the new districts of The Hague. But he also personifies the difficult journey of human life. This is the central theme of Israëls’ work.