Drie vrouwen, op de rug gezien 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch, Three Women Seen From the Back, using what looks like pencil on paper. It's the kind of drawing that feels like a thought caught mid-air. Look at how Israels uses these quick, almost scribbled lines to suggest form. You can see the weight of the fabric, the slump of a shoulder. It’s all about the process, about finding the image through the act of drawing itself. The texture of the paper comes through, making the marks feel even more immediate. Notice that one darker, almost frantic set of lines around the middle figure. It’s like Israels was wrestling with the shape, trying to pin it down. This energy, this searching, is what makes the sketch so alive. It reminds me a bit of Degas, that same interest in fleeting moments. Drawings like this aren't about perfection, but about the messy, beautiful process of seeing.