Liggend vrouwelijk naakt, mogelijk Alida c. 1890 - 1920

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a reclining nude, possibly named Alida, with what looks like charcoal on paper. There’s a tentative and searching quality to the marks he’s made. You can see how he comes in and out of focus, establishing the form with soft lines and smudges. I imagine Israels circling the figure, finding the right angle and attitude. He seems to be figuring out her position and how to convey it on paper, giving us this very human, vulnerable view. The charcoal allows for this kind of building up, rubbing out, and redefining, a process of coming to know the subject through the act of drawing. Think of other artists like Degas who explored similar themes and techniques. Ultimately, Israels invites us to consider the intimate relationship between artist, model, and medium. It is in this exchange that we can witness the artist's own creative process of seeing and translating the world around them.