Vrouwenhoofd, licht gekanteld 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Vrouwenhoofd, or 'Woman's Head, Lightly Tilted,' probably in the late 19th or early 20th century, using pencil on paper. It's all about the process, isn't it? Look at those lines—so quick, so sure! See how the shading around the eye socket gives depth, suggesting bone structure without getting bogged down in detail. Then there’s that dark mass at the base of the neck. It’s almost like a scribble, but it anchors the head, giving it weight. The paper itself, with its slight yellowing, adds to the feeling of immediacy, like we're looking at a sketch pulled straight from the artist's notebook. It reminds me a bit of Degas, who was another artist who loved capturing fleeting moments, but Israels has his own voice. It's loose, gestural, and full of life. In the end, it is a reminder that art is not about perfection, but about the energy and the act of seeing.