Drie studies van een vrouw 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these studies of a woman on paper with a drawing tool. I imagine him rapidly sketching these figures, capturing the fleeting impressions of the body with spare and economical strokes. There’s something so intimate about these studies, like a glimpse into the artist’s private world. I can imagine Israels, charcoal in hand, totally absorbed in the act of observation, trying to capture the essence of the model’s form. The lines are so fluid and responsive, you can almost feel the energy of the artist’s hand moving across the page. Israels’ ability to convey so much with so little reminds me of other artists such as Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, who similarly captured the energy of modern life. These studies invite us to appreciate the beauty of the everyday.