Zittend vrouwelijk naakt, lezend 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of a seated nude reading, at an unknown date, likely with graphite on paper. I love seeing the artist's process laid bare like this, a kind of dance between eye, hand, and page. You can almost feel him feeling his way around the form, searching for the essential lines. Look at the way he's suggested the curve of her back, the gentle slope of her shoulders. It's all so economical, so precise, yet so full of life. See the slight smudge of graphite just above her head? It's as if he was trying to erase her from the page, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. This reminds me of some of Degas's drawings, the way he captured fleeting moments of intimacy with such tenderness. It's a reminder that art is not about perfection, but about capturing something real, something human.