Staande vrouw met haar handen in haar zij c. 1886 - 1934

Curator: This is Isaac Israels’ pencil drawing, "Staande vrouw met haar handen in haar zij", dating roughly from 1886 to 1934. Editor: Immediately, I notice the unfinished quality. The quick, light strokes create an impression of fleeting observation. Curator: Indeed. Israels was deeply engaged in capturing contemporary life. Drawings like this offer insight into the means of production of his larger compositions, reflecting the labour involved. Editor: The formal economy is fascinating. How little line is used to suggest volume and form. The shading, almost scribbled in places, serves to ground the figure but also dissolve it into abstraction. Curator: The loose rendering invites speculation about the social context of the sitter and Israels’ studio practice. What were the conditions of the space? How was the model compensated? The act of sketching, a practice in capturing subjects from life. Editor: Do you see that interplay between solid form and ethereal suggestion of line that makes it difficult to look away. Look closely at her posture, the weight suggested in the shift of her hips. He perfectly catches how the form moves through space. Curator: And how that same consideration is neglected, perhaps even rejected in the rendering of the other human representation, in the corner. Here, the artist experiments on a single plane with capturing form and representing his surrounding environment. Editor: It's an intense character study as a result of the way it makes her seem self-contained despite not featuring a facial description. It draws out her inner, rather than outward appearance through the forms and body lines used to sculpt the composition. Curator: This drawing exemplifies Israels' engagement with modern life, using accessible materials. It pushes boundaries between finished work and preliminary study, a crucial point to consider in its time. Editor: It reveals so much about the artistic thought process by revealing all its different production points. A great work for students to consider form!