Staande vrouw in kostuum, mogelijk een variétédanseres 1875 - 1934

Curator: This pencil drawing, "Standing Woman in Costume, possibly a Vaudeville Dancer" comes to us from Isaac Israels. Likely rendered between 1875 and 1934, it's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Wow, what a whirlwind of a sketch. All this nervous energy—do you feel that urgency, like Israels had to get her down on paper before she vanished? Curator: I agree; it's immediate, almost breathless. Notice the use of line; Israels doesn't bother with details. It’s the suggestion of form that’s captivating, almost fleeting, as he captures the essence of movement and posture. Editor: The backdrop's frantic too, it frames her—it makes the figure jump out at you, even though the sketch itself is minimal. Her costume almost melts into the darkness—do you think she's backlit on a stage? Curator: It's likely; the shading indicates a strong light source, maybe stage lights as she prepares to perform. What Israels really seemed drawn to was modern life: the vibrant, slightly seedy theatre scenes. The composition throws you right into the backstage buzz. Editor: Seedy... I wouldn’t have gone there. To me it captures a tender intimacy: seeing a woman, maybe even vulnerable, away from the bright lights. Curator: Maybe it’s a matter of emphasis. He was depicting a world previously overlooked in art: cafes, streets, the ordinary and sometimes unglamorous moments. I lean more towards an observation on her stage-world than a personal observation of her herself. Editor: But aren’t those interpretations always interwoven? What about us today looking back into a different epoch with different attitudes, different understanding... Perhaps we all get to see her from our own place, like a shadow in a very modern costume. Curator: I love that interpretation. Maybe what is the point of it all after all?