An Old Man writing by Candlelight
- Artist: Jozef Israëls
- Date: about 1885-99
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
"An Old Man writing by Candlelight, painted around 1885-99 in oil on canvas. You might notice the wide cracks across the canvas, which were likely caused by paint shrinkage over time. This has made it a bit harder to see some of the details of the composition.
The painting is thought to have been titled 'The Philosopher', but it's not entirely clear who gave it that name - either Jozef Israëls or his friend Jean Charles Joseph Drucker, its previous owner. The artist drew on a long tradition in Dutch art of depicting scholars in their studies.
If you look closely, you'll notice the subtle light effects used by Israëls are reminiscent of Rembrandt, an artist he greatly admired and was often compared to by critics. Interestingly, this painting was one of the first works by a contemporary Dutch artist to be shown at the National Gallery."
See it in person
An Old Man writing by Candlelight hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
