This double effect of treating the light inside the room ànd outside i — Jozef Israëls

"That is always difficult [making a repetition of an sold painting] and can only become a potboiler. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"

"I take advantage of a painting that I now have at the Paris exhibition. 3 orphan girls who are sewing in an interior room. I have sold [it] there for a nice price and have heard some interesting reviews published about it. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"

"The title [of an album with prints of Israels and poems after his pictures, made by Nicolaas Beets ] will not be I hope Kroost der zee [Offspring of the Sea]. I think this is an insufferable dissonance. Call it Sketches from Fishers life - of B to J. I think that is the best, the simplest and the most attractive name. Also the word to gives me justice, otherwise people will think that I made them [his pictures] after Beets and not Beets [his poems] after me. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"

"Take care for purity in the paint and not so stinky thick of grease, thin, thin, thin! And just on the light [parts in the painting] here and there a small push of thick [paint].. ..thick house-interiors are unpleasant - long drawing before you start and arrange pleasantly together all things before you start to paint - if the money does not bother you, it is always useful to visit Rott. [Rotterdam]. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"

"In this Summer time of ours with Scheveningen on the shore the bathing time and the hot weather I did very few things.. ..was only busy calculating my studies [for later paintings] and to see what I should do.. ..an interior with some figures an outside Schevening shore scene a scene with sentiment of feeling or a picture quite after nature so natural as if it was the old dutch school [17th century].. ..I hope the next days will bring me a safe outcome from the turbulations in my head, all is so fine and beautiful to do.. [original text by Israëls]"

"..I would like to ask your advice as a friend, namely whether you believe I should submit my painting Ouden en Jongen [Old and Young ones] to Brussels [exhibition] or not. I thought it was a nice painting, but now I read in the Handelsblad that it is so bad. What is truth about that. Please do me the favor to sent me some words sans facon [straight forward], what is your opinion about this. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"