Vrouwen met hoeden, mogelijk op een theaterbalkon 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, 'Women with hats, possibly on a theater balcony', with graphite. Looking at this, I think about all the sketches I've made, each one a little question mark hovering on paper. Israels is trying to capture a fleeting moment, isn't he? Those scribbled hats – they’re like dark clouds, anchoring these women to a specific time and place. You can almost feel the velvet seats and the hushed excitement before the curtain rises. I imagine Israels perched somewhere, quickly sketching, trying to distill the essence of these figures. Is he thinking about Degas, maybe, or other artists who captured modern life? The beauty of drawing is in its immediacy, and it embraces the unfinished. It's a reminder that art, like life, is a process of constant becoming.