Zittende vrouw, voorovergebogen 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a seated woman, leaning forward, with graphite on paper. It’s clear from the start that this is all about the process, the way Israels makes his marks on the page, searching for the form. You can almost feel him circling around his subject. Look how the lines are so direct, nothing fussy or overworked, it’s like he’s trying to capture the essence of the figure with the fewest possible marks. There's this one line, running almost vertically, that seems to define the angle of the woman's back. It’s not a perfect line, it wobbles a bit, but that’s what gives it life. Then there are these darker, almost smudged areas that suggest the weight of her clothing, contrasting with the lightness of the paper. I am reminded of Picasso’s drawings; how he could suggest so much with so little. Ultimately, it’s like a dance between the artist, the subject, and the medium, a constant negotiation, and that’s what makes it so alive.