Vrouw 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman with pencil on paper. You can see the quick, searching marks he made, trying to find the form, the figure, and the person within. I think of Israels standing there, maybe a little nervous, definitely excited, trying to capture her essence with these rapid lines. The paper is so bare, so exposed, like a stage waiting for the drama to unfold. There’s a vulnerability in the sketchiness, a rawness that feels immediate and honest. Look at the smudging around her head; it’s like he's searching for the right shape, the right expression, letting the graphite blur and fade. It reminds me that making art is about the process of discovery. It’s a conversation between the artist, the subject, and the medium. And each mark, each smudge, tells a story of that encounter.