Vrouwenhoofd 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Vrouwenhoofd, with pencil on paper. It's just lines, right? A map of a face, kind of tilted. The lines are so light, like whispers. It’s like Israels is trying to catch a thought before it disappears, or maybe he's thinking through seeing. Look closely, see how the lines around the eyes are darker, more certain? The whole face kinda emerges from that small area of concentrated mark-making. The rest is like, "maybe this is where the hair goes," "maybe the collar does this." I think the vagueness gives the drawing a lot of its punch. It's like a conversation, isn't it? Israels talks to the paper, and the paper talks back. The drawing isn't trying to trick you into thinking it’s real, which is so refreshing. Makes me think of Degas, always searching for that perfect, imperfect line. Art isn't about answers, it’s more about the questions we ask along the way.