Staande vrouw met een kind op de arm c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels sketched this standing woman with a child in her arms, using graphite on paper. It is a great example of artmaking as a process. What strikes me most are the lines; they're so tentative, almost searching. Look at how the form of the figures seems to emerge gradually, built up from a network of light, delicate strokes. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about the journey of discovery, like the artist is thinking through the image on the page. It feels like a moment captured on the fly, a fleeting glimpse of tenderness and intimacy. The quick, confident marks recall the work of Edgar Degas, particularly his sketches of dancers. Both artists share a knack for capturing movement and gesture with remarkable economy. Ultimately, Israels' drawing reminds us that art is a conversation, a continuous exchange of ideas and influences across time.