Variétéatieste met hoofdtooi c. 1930 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this graphite sketch, Variétéatieste met hoofdtooi, most likely in the early 20th century. I imagine him rapidly capturing the essence of the figure, a performer perhaps, with quick, energetic lines. The right side of the page bursts with marks, a flurry of hatching that suggests form emerging from shadow. It's like he’s building the image, feeling his way through the light and dark to find the figure. Look at the headdress, how it's just hinted at, a mass of scribbled lines that somehow convey its presence. On the left, the faint lines suggest earlier attempts, abandoned or waiting to be developed further. I bet Israels was thinking about Degas, or Toulouse-Lautrec, artists who also captured the fleeting world of performance and dancers. It's like artists are all in conversation, picking up where the others left off, isn't it?