Staande vrouw met verenwaaier, in profiel c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a standing woman with a fan, and what strikes me is the tentative nature of the marks, the sense of things emerging. You know, I can imagine Israels with his sketchbook, quickly trying to capture the essence of his subject. It feels like a fleeting moment, a gesture caught in time. Look at the dress, how the lines suggest its form without fully defining it. It's almost as if the dress is a ghost, a whisper of fabric. And the fan—it’s just a suggestion, a few lines that hint at its delicate structure. The whole thing has a lovely openness. It reminds me of other artists who work with line and gesture, like Manet or Degas. It’s like they’re all in conversation, sharing ideas about how to see and represent the world. And that's what art is all about, right? This ongoing exchange of ideas, inspiring each other to see things in new ways.