Dienstmeid op de Herengracht te Amsterdam c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a maid on the Herengracht in Amsterdam. He used graphite, and the marks are quick, almost frantic. I get a sense of him trying to capture a fleeting moment, a woman paused in her daily work. Look at the lines around her face and dress – they're not precise, but they suggest form and light. It's all about the energy of the moment. The texture of the paper shows through, adding to the sketch's raw feel. There’s something beautiful in its incompleteness, don't you think? I'm reminded of Daumier, who also captured the lives of ordinary people with such empathy and skill. Art is always this conversation across time, each artist building on what came before, adding their own voice to the mix. We can find beauty and meaning in the everyday, if we just take the time to look.