Twee danseressen 1921 - 1922

Isaac Israels made this drawing, "Twee danseressen," with pencil on paper, and when I look at it, I think about all the layers of looking that went into its making. What was Israels thinking about as he made these rapid sketches? I can imagine him in the wings of a theater, poised with his sketchbook, rapidly trying to capture the dancers' movements in the moment. What a feeling of freedom he must have had! The thin, almost delicate lines suggest a sense of lightness and spontaneity, as if he were chasing after the fleeting gestures of the dancers, with a quick hand and a keen eye. He wanted to capture movement, life. As artists, we are always looking at each other's work and borrowing ideas, riffing off each other's gestures. I find it comforting that art isn't created in a vacuum. We are all in this messy, beautiful, and often frustrating conversation together, across time.