Reclining Female Nude

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a reclining nude, probably on paper with graphite. It’s a quick sketch really, and it has this fantastic sense of immediacy. Look at the density of marks around the head, and then the lighter, almost diagrammatic lines describing the torso. There’s a real playfulness here, the lines are so suggestive, and yet it is completely resolved. It’s all about the process, the thinking, the searching. The texture of the paper comes through, too, which adds to that sense of being ‘in the moment’ with the artist as he jots down this fleeting pose. It reminds me of Manet’s sketches, that same confidence in the line to capture movement and form. What I love is that the image is not laboured. It's not overworked. It feels so fresh, so present. Like art is an ongoing conversation. Open to interpretation.