Zittende vrouw voor een spiegel c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a seated woman in front of a mirror with pencil on paper. It’s all sketchy lines and tentative marks, like Israels is thinking through the image as he draws it. I can almost feel what it was like to make this drawing, the pressure of the pencil on the paper, the scratchy sound it would have made. What was he thinking as he made it? Probably not about perfection. The lines aren’t precious, they're searching, full of doubt and confidence all at once. The woman looks exhausted, slouching with her head in her hand. Is she disappointed with her reflection? Israels captures a fleeting moment of introspection and uses minimal lines to convey emotion. He is part of a long conversation about the way in which line communicates meaning that extends from the Dutch Masters to Marlene Dumas. Artists look and learn from each other, stealing ideas, finding inspiration. We work in the gaps and echoes left by those who came before.