Standing dancer 1934

Isaac Israels made this painting of a standing dancer with oil on canvas, and what I find striking is how he’s unafraid to let the process show. It's like he's saying, "Here's the dance, but here's also how I saw it, how I felt it, how I smeared it onto the canvas." Look at the skirt, a riot of pink and white blooms, each petal suggested with a confident stroke. The paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, building up a real sense of volume and movement. The background kind of dissolves into these luscious browns and ochres, pushing the dancer forward but also enveloping her in this intimate, almost dreamlike space. Notice how the edges aren't sharp but blurred. It reminds me a bit of Degas and his dancers, but with a certain looseness. It’s like Israels is inviting us to see not just the dancer, but the act of painting itself, with all its glorious messiness.