Reclining Reading Nude 1922

Isaac Israels painted this reclining nude at some point during his career, probably in oil on canvas. I love the way he's captured this intimate moment of leisure. You can imagine the model just sinking into the pillows, totally absorbed in her book. The brushstrokes are pretty loose and fluid, especially in the background, giving the whole scene this really relaxed, dreamy feel. It's like Israels wasn't trying to capture every single detail, but more like the overall mood and vibe of the scene. I think the painting feels incredibly modern, even though it’s not contemporary, you know? It’s all about capturing a moment, an impression of light and color, rather than some kind of idealized version of reality. It’s like Israels is saying, "Hey, this is what I saw, this is how it felt to be there," which is kind of what all us painters are trying to do, in our own way. We are all in a constant conversation, inspiring each other, across time.