Danseressen en een kunstenaar aan het werk 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of dancers and an artist at work with graphite on paper. It's all about the energy of the marks. The artist seems to have caught a moment, a fleeting glimpse of dancers in motion and a fellow artist deeply absorbed in his work. You can almost feel Israels' hand moving quickly across the page, trying to capture the essence of the scene. I wonder if he was in a hurry, or if he preferred to work fast, trusting his intuition. The lines are so light and airy. Look how the form of the dancer is barely there, just a suggestion. And the artist with his hat, holding his painting – maybe Israels is capturing his own practice, his own way of seeing the world. As painters we’re always looking at each other, aren’t we? Learning and taking inspiration, and thinking about what it means to be an artist in the world.