Oil on wood board (probably mahogany) signed “J.Israels” on bottom right part &  “JI” on bottom left part. Made during his Paris classes 1845-47 - Provenance : Private collection Paris. His earliest works were romantic historical paintings but after staying at Zandvoort in 1855 he concentrated on peasant scenes. Israels' version of "The indifferent" by Watteau had an historical impact on the future career of the artist. The relative indifference of Watteau's character towards his own ego is not that of a dilettante who blindly takes nothing seriously. His indifference is rather produced by the social world which imposed on him, as on all his contemporaries, the gray, pink and greenish colors of his costumes, as well as his attitudes and gestures in accordance with the taste of the time. Everyone then had to look like everyone else by becoming anonymous.