Vijf jonge vrouwen op straat, in profiel c. 1886 - 1934

This charcoal drawing of five young women on the street was made by Isaac Israels, but when I don’t know. The drawing has a sketch-like quality, almost like the artist quickly captured a fleeting moment. I can imagine Israels on the street, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the energy of these women as they walk by. It’s like he's saying, "Hold on, let me just get this down!" You know? The smudged lines create a sense of movement, like the women are constantly shifting and changing. You see the thick, dark strokes of charcoal that give the drawing weight and depth, and other areas where the lines are much lighter and more delicate. These lighter strokes gives a sense of the women fading into the background or moving out of sight. It reminds me of Edgar Degas’ pastels and drawings, how he also tried to capture the fleeting beauty of everyday life. I think of artists as being in an ongoing conversation, each one building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before. Like they're saying, "Hey, I see what you did there, and I'm going to try something a little different."