Staande vrouw met de handen in de zij 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this pencil sketch of a standing woman, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Look at how the figure sprawls, and almost merges with the sketchbook page. I love how Israels uses the double page spread—it's like she's about to fall off the edge! There's something deeply human about the way he captures her pose, relaxed but alert. You know, I can almost feel Israels' hand moving across the paper, trying to capture the essence of this person. The act of sketching isn't just about representation, it's about feeling, thinking, and connecting. I wonder if he was trying to capture a fleeting moment, or did he spend more time with this drawing? It reminds me of other artists like Degas, who were so good at capturing the essence of everyday life in their work. It's like they're all in conversation, pushing each other to see the world in new ways.