Vrouw in kaarshouding met gebogen benen c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing, titled ‘Woman in candle position with bent legs’, at an unknown date. It's a sketch, probably from life, and it shows a nude female model adopting what looks like a yoga position. Israels, active in the Netherlands, was part of a group called the Amsterdam Impressionists, who depicted modern urban life. The drawing’s loose and spontaneous lines capture a sense of movement and energy, showing us the artist’s interest in capturing fleeting moments. The institutional history of art education is important here. The nude was a central subject in the art academy, where male artists worked from female models. Israels here seems to be challenging those formal traditions, using this medium to quickly capture a private moment. The social role of this piece of art is an interesting one. It is an intimate sketch of the female form, and Israels seems more interested in the human form. He used these informal studies to prepare for his more finished works. Understanding this drawing involves examining the artist’s other works and reading the cultural context of art education in the Netherlands.