Vrouwenhoofd 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman's head, probably in his studio, with pencil on paper. Look at the tentative lines. They remind me of the way I approach a canvas: starting with a vague idea, a whisper of a form, and then circling around it, trying to coax it into being. I imagine Israels doing the same here, his hand moving quickly, trying to capture the essence of his subject, maybe she was a friend or a model? The texture of the paper is visible beneath the marks, creating a sense of immediacy. It’s like you’re right there, in the studio with him, watching the image emerge from the blank page. Each stroke feels like a question, a search for the right form, the right angle. It’s as though Israels is not just depicting a woman but is also exploring the very act of seeing, of representing. These works feel so intimate because the artist is trying to find something out.