Drie studies van een meisje, staand en zittend 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this study of a girl, standing and seated, using graphite on paper. Immediately, the eye is drawn to the delicacy of line and the subtle gradations of tone, which create a sense of movement and fleeting observation. Israëls skillfully employs hatching and cross-hatching to define form and shadow, giving volume to the girl's figure and clothing. The composition, with the girl depicted in three different poses, allows us to see her from multiple perspectives simultaneously, almost as if capturing different moments in time. This technique echoes the interest in seriality found in the work of artists like Degas, who explored movement and temporality in their depictions of dancers. The sketch-like quality of the drawing emphasizes the process of observation and the artist's hand, inviting us to consider the role of drawing as a means of capturing not just the likeness of a subject, but also the artist's perception and experience of it.