Vrouwenhoofd 1887 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman’s head with charcoal on paper. Look at how the dark marks build to the left, creating this heavy mass that suggests the shape of a head. I wonder what it was like to make this drawing? Did Israels start with the face and then build up the darkness around it? The charcoal looks so soft and velvety, but it also looks like it could be smudged really easily. I like that the face is barely there, just a few lines suggesting the nose and mouth. I can imagine Israels standing in front of his subject, charcoal in hand, trying to capture something fleeting. This drawing reminds me of other artists who were also interested in capturing the human form through quick, gestural marks, like Degas or Manet. Artists are always looking at each other’s work, riffing off each other, and building on what came before. It’s like a big conversation that spans across time. Painting is this ongoing back-and-forth, an exchange of ideas and ways of seeing.