Seated Female Nude c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this 'Seated Female Nude' with ink on paper. Look at the freedom and speed of the marks! The work feels immediate, as if captured in a single breath. The ink is applied in washes, pooling in areas to create shadows, and then scratched back to reveal the paper. It’s almost like a dance, this back and forth between adding and subtracting. Notice how the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, creating soft edges. Israels is really thinking about the materiality of the ink here. See that concentrated spot, the pool of ink used to describe her hair? It's not just a representation of hair, it’s a physical record of the artist's process. This drawing reminds me of the work of Degas, who was also interested in capturing fleeting moments and the human form in motion. Art is just an ongoing conversation, isn’t it? A constant exchange of ideas and approaches across time.