Vrouw met hoofdtooi, mogelijk een reveudanseres c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Vrouw met hoofdtooi, mogelijk een reveudanseres, with pencil, maybe while perched on a stool in a busy cafe. It’s all about capturing a fleeting moment, a gesture, a glance. The marks are so light and free, it’s like he’s chasing after the image, not pinning it down. Look at the way he suggests the dancer’s headdress with just a few scribbled lines around her face. It’s almost like a puzzle. And then there’s the rest of her body, hinted at with these long, flowing lines that seem to float across the page. The texture of the paper peeks through, adding to the sense of lightness and air. It’s like he’s inviting us to fill in the blanks, to imagine the rest of the scene for ourselves. Israels reminds me of Degas, who was also obsessed with capturing the movements of dancers. But where Degas feels more studied, Israels is all about spontaneity. With Israels, it's always more of an invitation than an explanation.